Pan's Ascent
by Wolverine Ninja
Summary: Growing up in a world without her grandfather Goku, who remained deceased after the Cell Games, Pan has dedicated her entire life to martial arts and seeks to live up to his daunting legacy. She soon finds her life as she knows it changed forever and her destiny will shape the future of more than just her home.
1. A Day in the Life! Z-Fighter Reunion!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Sweat dripped from her forehead down her face. A few drops from her shoulder landed on her sweatpants. She wiped her face with her wrist to keep the sweat from her eyes. This sparring session was going as planned so far.

"Keep your guard up, Pan!"

After hearing these words, Pan saw her grandmother's knee approaching her fast. She blocked it with her wrists, then ducked quickly to avoid a downward chop from Chi-Chi's hand. She had to move her wrists quickly from there to stop the ensuing onslaught of pointed jabs.

Even at 60, her grandmother fought with the same ferocity as she had in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament in her younger days. Pan flipped backward out of her range, then leapt high into the air. Chi-Chi was quick to catch up and the two traded kicks in midair, the two almost seeming to stand in place while doing so.

"You've got to get back on the offensive!"

In mid-sentence, a powerful kick struck Pan's guarding arms, the sheer force knocking her back down to the ground on her feet. Her shoes dragged across the grass, causing clumps of it to tear from the ground into the air around her. Pan almost began to wonder why her grandmother wasn't entering tomorrow's tournament herself with the strength she was packing.

She then barely jumped out of the way of Chi-Chi's downward kick, which sent soil flying and left an indent in the ground.

"You can't just hope to tire out your opponent. You need to defend yourself."

Pan threw a punch only to see Chi-Chi catch it and throw her behind her.

"But you need to strike smart."

Upon landing on her feet, Pan was met by a barrage of kicks, each vying to slip past her guard. Her grandmother's kicks were swift and struck hard, just as she knew they would. Chi-Chi began to wonder why her granddaughter wasn't making any efforts to move away from or counter her current combo.

"That does it!"

She stopped the attack and jumped backward, awaiting Pan's next move.

"Either hit me or I'll ring you out!"

Pan noted the painted white square around the grass that was meant to mimic the size of the World Martial Art Tournament's ring. She could tell from her grandmother's tone that she would carry out that promise if need be.

"Okay..."

She flew in at Chi-Chi, her punch knocking the guarding Chi-Chi back several feet. She then landed and intercepted her grandmother's fists, which were inches from striking her face and chest. Pan went for a sweep, but Chi-Chi leapt off the ground, then span in midair, loosening herself from Pan's grip. She landed a kick to Pan's cheek, then a jab to her stomach that forced her backward towards the painted line.

Pan could barely stand as she saw Chi-Chi charging with all haste towards her: her grandmother was ready to end it then and there. She alternated between punches and kicks with the intent of forcing Pan to slip up and end up struck out of bounds. Pan knew the spot she was in and didn't want that happening. She moved her wrists as quickly as she could, catching or redirecting the punches and kicks, as well as lifting her legs to avoid being swept.

After blocking her grandmother's knee with her own, she then ducked to avoid a swinging chop, then realized Chi-Chi was going for a two-handed palm strike. With her anticipation serving her well, Pan caught Chi-Chi's wrists, then kneed her before she could jump out of the way. She then turned her in the other direction and with a single palm knocked Chi-Chi past the line on her back.

"...Grandma!"

With the spar concluded, she rushed over to help Chi-Chi.

"Are you okay?" She offered a hand to help her up, but saw that her grandmother had already started to get back onto her feet.

"Why were you holding back, Pan?"

"I didn't want to hurt you..."

"That's not the only reason why," Chi-Chi said sternly, her posture clearly indicating her intent. "You deliberately let me attack you when you could have very well stopped or avoided it. Why is that?"

"I... I have to test my limits. Deal with pressure..."

"Please don't tell me you're trying to become a Super Saiyan again."

Pan was silent for the longest time: she couldn't half-truth her way out of this one.

"I'm sorry, Grandma. I've trained so hard for so long to reach it. Even now at 18, I can't do it."

"And you think all your training and skill is all for naught without it, is that it?"

Her expression and body language slowly began to morph from strict to nurturing as she placed her hand on her granddaughter's shoulder.

"You've worked so hard becoming the fighter you are. You should be proud of how far you've come as a child. You don't need it to be a great martial artist."

"But I could be so much better with it. Why can't I do it? Why could Grandpa Goku do it and not me too?"

She then realized she had brought up a touchy subject: her grandfather Son Goku, who was no longer with them. She was expecting her grandmother to either lose her temper or tear up from the mention of his name, but instead Chi-Chi kept the same temperament.

"Your grandfather Goku... he was one-of-a-kind in so many ways... but it wasn't just because of going Super Saiyan. He had it all long before he ever used it. But that wasn't what made him great: it was his character."

Chi-Chi looked over at her granddaughter, a smile on her face.

"And I know that somewhere, he's out there watching over you, so very proud of the young woman you've become. No matter what happens tomorrow, he'll always be proud of what you are."

She used her other hand to nudge Pan's chin upward so they could look each other in the eye.

"Do you understand, Pan?"

"Yeah... I do. Thanks for everything, Grandma."

Chi-Chi was about to repay the thanks, but before a word could leave her mouth, she noticed a small cut on Pan's right cheek, no doubt from earlier. Pan placed her fingers over it, then saw a tiny smear of blood on her fingertips.

"Now come on. Let's get that cleaned up."

* * *

After Chi-Chi had applied the proper ointments to the cut, Pan placed a band-aid over her cheek.

"That takes care of that. Now you'd better get changed before..."

They could hear a knock from across the hall: company had arrived. Pan could only grin and raise both her hands to her sides.

"Well, guess it's a little late for that."

"Your mother's not going to be thrilled, but just put on your jacket and dry off that hair."

Chi-Chi headed for the front door as Pan zipped up her fitness jacket to cover her sweated shirt, then proceeded to dry off her hair quickly with a towel. Even then, her hair had looked better, so she decided to put on her orange bandanna.

By the time she had entered the living room, the gang was all there, chatting about the days of old, as well as their latest misadventures.

"I've just been asked to become the new chief of police..."

Krillin's grey mustache partially hid his grin. Despite having hair for most of Pan's life, it had begun to bald once again. His wife Lazuli was next to him along with their 26 year old daughter Marron.

"That's great, Krillin. Me? Just been helping Tien with his classes."

Yamcha was even older than Chi-Chi, his long hair having gone a grey hue. He hadn't been shaving as much, smirking with a five-o-clock shadow. He had the look of a man who hadn't accomplished much in life, but being around old friends again was more than worth it.

"Ah, seems like yesterday I was babysitting Kani for him and Launch."

In the kitchen, Launch, whose blue hair had streaks of white, as well as her daughter Kani, who had the blonde hair of her other personality, were helping Gohan, Videl, and Chi-Chi prepare the upcoming meal. Tien walked over to Yamcha and lightly smacked him on the shoulder.

"She definitely picked up a few habits from you, that's for sure."

Tien had grown a grey goatee, as well as a small head of hair for the first time in years.

"It's too bad Chiaotzu couldn't make it today," Krillin said upon realizing Chaiotzu wasn't with Tien.

"He offered to take over my classes for the day while I'm here. The dojo can't pay for itself, you know."

Krillin then couldn't help but notice Tien wasn't balding nearly as much as he was. Pan finally approached the group, who turned and greeted her.

"Pan, long time no see. How's my old pupil doing?" Yamcha inquired.

"Doing alright. Almost done with school and... well..."

"Training for the World Martial Arts Tournament, right?" Krillin asked.

"Yeah, what gave it away?"

The group chuckled as Pan felt a cane tap her on her shoulder. She turned and saw...

"Master Roshi!"

His face and beard looked about the same as it always had, though he was dressed in a beige suit and had swapped out his sunglasses for reading glasses.

"Great to see four of my pupils again."

From the earliest days of her youth, Pan had been told the sprawling tales of her grandfather Goku, whom always served as an idol for her. From the moment she began to practice martial arts, she not only trained with her parents, but also everyone who had known Goku, including Roshi.

"That's right. You did train with Master Roshi as well. So Pan, you didn't have to swim from sharks, did you?"

"Oh heavens no. I couldn't do that to the Champ's granddaughter."

"Speaking of the Champ..."

Pan suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground with a hug.

"Grandpa Hercule!"

"How's my little champion doing?"

"Little? But I'm not that little..."

"Whoops. Don't wanna crush ya before the big tournament."

He finally let Pan go, who then turned around and hugged him back.

"I've just gotta say that I'll be rooting for you all the way."

Just then, another knock on the door.

"Uh, don't you all worry. I'll get it."

He lightly broke off his hug with Pan, then went over to the door, where his eyes shot up at who he saw.

"Hey, there, uh... how goes... um, please, please come on in, Vegeta."

The room almost went silent as Vegeta walked into the room, donned in a white buttoned shirt and jeans, his hair partially slicked back, and with a mustache to everyone's surprise.

"Hey Vegeta. It's been a while. Uh... nice mustache," Krillin stated, attempting to strike up a conversation with him.

Vegeta let off a small grin at the remark, then continued on until he sat on a couch. Everyone looked over at him, watching to see what he'd do next when more footsteps walked through the doorway.

"Long time no see, everyone," Bulma shouted with glee, waving her hand at all her old friends. As she stepped forward, her son Trunks was right behind her, wearing a dark blue business suit and with a light purple stubble on his face.

"Hey everyone. Finally got to take a sick day so I could see you all."

Trunks had been the president of Capsule Corp since around the time Pan was just becoming a teenager. As a result of his work, Pan often didn't see him for long stretches of time, sometimes even years. But Pan's eyes lit up at the sound of a familiar set of heels.

"Hello," waved Bulla, who donned a semi-formal red dress for the occasion.

"Bulla!"

Pan ran up to Bulla, who was also excited to see her.

"Pan!"

The two best friends hugged, then stood in place hopping for joy.

"Do you know what tomorrow is?"

"The tournament! Oh, I can't wait to see you in action!"

"Got you a front row seat."

"To Beatdown City... for everyone else!"

The two laughed at Bulla's remark when a green arm tried squeezing past them. The two then realized they were blocking the doorway and moved to the side.

"Thank you," stated Piccolo, who donned a purple long sleeve shirt and blue slacks instead of his usual gi.

"Mr. Piccolo!"

Gohan knew his voice from anywhere. The two walked over to each other as Piccolo put a hand over Gohan's shoulder.

"It's good to see you, Gohan."

"You as well, Mr. Piccolo."

Piccolo looked over at Gohan's mother and wife in the kitchen, as well as over at his daughter Pan, whom Piccolo had fond memories of babysitting. He then felt something massive behind him.

"What's wrong?"

"That power..."

He turned around and everyone looked and saw a shadow silhouetted against the wall: it was in the shape of Goku.

When the man finally entered, they saw that he was wearing a tan suit, though the tie wasn't on perfectly. He had almost the exact same hairstyle as Goku. Chi-Chi left the kitchen to see who it was.

"Goten!"

Chi-Chi went to hug Goten and lift him off the ground, but Goten's feet were still firmly on the ground. He smiled at his mother and hugged her back with his left while waving to everyone with his right.

"Hey there."

He turned to Gohan.

"Hey, bro."

He then turned to Pan, who briefly turned her attention away from Bulla to greet him.

"Hi, Uncle Goten."

With everyone finally there, Piccolo stretched his arm to close the front door.

"Now that everyone's here..."

Everyone looked over at Videl, who was pointing at the dining room table.

"Let's all get ready to eat."

Slowly, but surely, the 19 of them picked their spots around the table, with Pan between Bulla and Kani, and her parents on the other side of the table. All of the seats were filled... except one.

"If you don't me starting off," Krillin began, "Today's the 23rd anniversary of, well..."

"It was the last time we ever saw Kakarot", Vegeta bluntly stated. His expression changed from nearly emotionless to somewhat saddened after he had stated it.

"Oh, and it's also the 30th of another historic occasion," Yamcha replied, trying to bring up the mood.

"You mean when Hercule saved mankind from Cell, right?" Bulla blurted out.

She then looked over at Gohan and Chi-Chi and realized then that it was the same day Goku had died. She also saw her father trying to hide his facial expressions even more so. Bulla was almost tempted to tear up.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright, Bulla," Gohan said comfortingly to her. "We all miss my father. But we will always have the memories we had with him to cherish. And I know for sure that he'll always be there with us in spirit."

"And we all know that if he were here," Chi-Chi began with a smile, "That he would have eaten half the food on the table by now."

This warranted several chuckles from Goku's oldest friends, who remembered the copious amounts of food he could down in a single sitting.

"Let's have a toast to my dad," Goten stated as he raised a glass.

Everyone raised a glass, one of wine for the grown-ups and one of water for those under 21, as they prepared.

"To Goku."

Everyone clanged their glass with the person next to them, then finally began eating. Yamcha couldn't help but notice Piccolo wasn't eating anything in front of him.

"You not gonna eat? Stomach problems?"

"No thanks. I'm fine."

He simply drank a glass of water, then filled it up with a pitcher before drinking it once again.

* * *

With dinner concluded, some had to take off right away while others stuck around to socialize further. Pan stood looking out at the moonlight on a balcony as she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What's up?"

"Oh, not much, Bulla."

The two stood looking over at the moon, which was partially covered by four small clouds in almost perfect rows of two.

"Have you been training much, Bulla?"

"Not as much. My dad hasn't really been making me. Plus, there's no tournaments near my school."

"Speaking of your dad..."

Pan pointed out that Vegeta was standing in the yard by himself, a glass of wine in hand. They couldn't hear him, but it looked like he was talking to the memorial of Goku. Finished with whatever conversation he had with it, he poured the wine onto the ground nearby it before turning away.

"Is he okay?"

"He always gets torn up around this time of year. My mom, too."

"What for?"

"Well don't you remember? My dad and Goku were the biggest rivals. I think he still misses him even after all this time."

"Makes you wonder all the stuff they did before we were born, huh?"

"Yeah, Trunks was just a baby during the Cell games. Though weird thing, I found a picture my mom kept in her desk."

"Oh, of what?"

"It's weird..."

Bulla took out a photograph and showed it to Pan, who looked over it carefully.

"It's of Trunks as a teenager... but my mom looks about the same age as when she had Trunks."

"Yeah, that is weird."

The two stopped for just a moment, taking in the calm night breeze, when Bulla noticed Pan looking somewhat down.

"What's the matter, Pan?"

"It's nothing."

"Come on, you can tell me anything. Promise I won't make fun of you."

Pan gave off a sigh, then looked over at Bulla.

"I keep training and training, working my butt off and everything, but even now..."

"You can't go Super Saiyan?"

Pan turned away.

"Yeah. I guess I'm just not good enough to pull it off."

Bulla could tell Pan wasn't in the best state of mind, so she leaned over towards her direction.

"Pan, you're my best friend and you're the most awesome person I know. You will go Super Saiyan someday."

"You really think so?"

"Think so? Why I know it."

"Bulla..." Vegeta called from across the room.

"Oh shoot, it's late. We've gotta get back home."

Bulla gave Pan a hug from behind.

"I'll see you at the tournament, Pan."

She walked past Vegeta to head downstairs as Pan continued looking forward, her mind swimming in thought.

"Pan."

She turned and saw that Vegeta was still standing there looking over at her.

"Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks, uh, Mr. Vegeta."

She watched him head out, then watched Vegeta, Bulma, Trunks, and Bulla heading back home in a Capsule Corp car. Not wanting to stay up and risk sleep deprivation the next day, Pan got into her pajamas and got under the covers.

"I really hope you're right, Bulla," Pan mused to herself as she closed her eyes.


	2. 32nd Tournament! Unexpected Opponents!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan stood waiting, donned in a dark blue gi with an orange undershirt and wristbands, as well as her bandanna. The dark blue and orange color scheme was meant to differentiate from her masters, as well as to stand out. She also donned boots based on the pair her grandfather Hercule wore out of respect for his legacy.

For years, she had watched the World Martial Arts Tournament take place, but finally, she would be able to fight among the best. She could hardly contain her excitement: Pan had dreamed of this moment since she first trained in martial arts and now she was finally living her dream.

"I'm not dreaming it: I'm really here."

She stood in a large waiting room alongside the massive number of fighters until it was their turn to be tested. She heard that in the past, there were preliminaries where the fighters would be broken up into groups and the finalist would face each other in the tournament. But now to save time, they relied on the punching machine. While earlier models were susceptible to being destroyed, these models built by Capsule Corp were designed to survive much more punishment, allowing for even higher numbers from fighters capable of them.

"Miss Pan, you're up."

She stepped into the next room towards the machine, swinging her arm to ready it. She then stood before the machine, trying to channel as much power as she could. With a mighty shout, she struck it dead-on, the force nearly causing it to shake. She caught a glimpse of the number being calculated: it rocketed past the first four hundreds.

"Five hundred and two! That's the second-highest score we've had here today. Proceed. Next!"

The easy part was over: now it was time to prepare for the actual fighting. She knew someone there had a higher score on the machine, but she didn't worry about it.

* * *

The final sixteen for the tournament had been decided and the last one standing would face off against the champion from last year. As Hercule had retired from fighting some time ago, there was a much greater variety of victors over the years. She peered across at the various characters before her: ranging from short and small, tall and bulky, and everything in between. One caught her attention:

"I can't see his face," she thought as she saw a man in an orange gi with his head covered in bandages and wearing sunglasses over his eyes.

He sat on a bench, keeping to himself, his arms covered by a white cape of sorts wrapped around them. Maybe he was covering something on his arms, but Pan couldn't tell from that distance.

Just then, another face... a familiar one.

"Kani?"

Pan approached Tien and Launch's daughter, who donned a green fitness jacket, not unlike the one Pan had worn the day before, as well as green pants similar to the type her father wore. On her hands were orange fingerless gloves and on her feet were red shoes, both similar to what her mother wore.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Kani turned, her expression seeming out of place in a room with serious martial artists.

"Oh, well I just wanted to see how the results of my training would fare here."

"All the years I've known you, I never knew you trained."

"Well most of the time you were visiting, I was helping my mom. But I do train with my dad."

Pan was still trying to work the concept of Kani training in martial arts. As far as she knew, Kani was much like Krillin's daughter Marron, with both knowing enough for self-defense, but not really going out of their way to follow in their parent's footsteps. As far as she knew, Bulla had trained the most out of the three, and Bulla mainly stopped as a result of her father not forcing it on her like he had with Trunks.

"Kani and Nam, please report to the arena."

The two looked over at her opponent: a man in an orange and maroon robe with a white turban on his head and a dark grey beard.

"Good luck, Kani."

"Thank you, Pan."

* * *

"Welcome one and all to the 32nd World Martial Arts Tournament! We have a very special treat for you all today. Joining me today is our special guest commentator, a man who needs no introduction... our beloved hero... Hercule Satan!"

The crowd cheered in thunderous applause as Hercule approached the balding announcer, whom handed him a microphone of his own.

"Happy to be here. Can't wait to see what everyone's bringing... though if I had to predict today's winner, I'd put my money on my granddaughter Pan. You'd all better get ready out there because she's gonna take this thing by storm!"

"A bold prediction out of the gate, Mr. Satan. And now let us begin with our first match-up: between Kani and Nam."

Both entered the ring, one after the other.

"For our oldest members of the audience, Nam was last seen in this ring 47 years ago, where he fought against Son Goku in the 21st tournament. And now he's here with the child of Tien Shinhan, Kani."

Nam remembered Tien Shinhan and the brutality with which Tien defeated him in the preliminaries of the 22nd tournament long ago. Even then, Nam and Tien had reconciled over that event and part of him anticipated what the new generation of fighters would bring. Kani looked over at the crowd for her parents. Sure enough, she saw them, and neither Tien or Launch showed any signs of worrying about her. She then kept her eye on Nam, who took on a fighting stance.

 ***GONG***

The match commenced and Nam charged right for Kani, who hardly moved an inch as he got closer to her.

* * *

Pan sat down on a bench, looking over at the names of the contestants on the board. She scrolled through for names of importance, starting with Kani and Nam, whose match had just begun, then peered across. As she looked over at her name and was about to read her opponent's name...

"The winner by ring out... Kani!"

She stood at her feet as Kani came back into the room, looking as unblemished as before.

"You won that match in no time at all. What did you do?"

"I got in a good hit."

Pan mused over the various ways a battle could be won in one hit as Kani then walked behind her to where she was before. After her thought concluded, Pan finally read the name of her opponent:

"Wild Tiger."

She looked across as the remaining twelve people. Wild Tiger didn't seem like the kind of name for the bandaged man and none of the smaller fighters looked or screamed "wild tiger" to her.

"Well Pan, if you win your next match, we'll be up against each other," informed Kani.

Pan looked over at the board to confirm this and sure enough, Kani was correct.

"Right. Well, don't wanna jinx it."

"Looks like you're up next. Good luck."

Pan looked over and saw Nam approaching her.

"Are you the granddaughter of Goku?"

Pan was surprised: aside from her family, most associated her more with being the granddaughter of Hercule.

"Yes. The name's Pan."

The man placed his hand out to shake.

"I am Nam. I fought your grandfather long ago. It is an honor to meet you."

Just as she shook his hand...

"Pan and Wild Tiger, please report to the arena."

"Looks like I'm up. Can't keep 'em waiting, y'know?" Pan winked.

"Good luck to you, Pan. May your future be bright," nodded Nam, who exited the room.

After Nam left, Pan watched all of the competitors to see who was leaving with her: one stood up.

"You're Hercule's grandkid?"

She looked over at a massive man, one who was nearly two feet taller than her with a dark grey braided ponytail and mustache.

"Well don't expect any special treatment from me."

He stepped forward, his mere footsteps sounding like the stomps of a giant. Pan didn't let it intimidate her, but also didn't want to underestimate him either: someone of that size had to pack some serious power at the minimum. She slowly made her way out of the room, the sunlight getting in her eyes.

* * *

"...and his opponent, the granddaughter of Mr. Satan... Pan!"

She could finally make out the arena and crowd in front of her and saw Hercule waving right at her.

"There she is! My granddaughter!"

Pan knew her grandpa Hercule couldn't help it, but blushed as she put her hand behind her head.

"Aww, Grandpa Hercule."

Wild Tiger was getting irritated waiting for her to enter the ring, as well as from all the appraisals she had already gotten from both the crowd and Hercule.

"So what if she's his granddaughter...", he thought to himself with a look of anger on his face. "She's just a competitor to me. I'm gonna knock that smirk off her face and Mr. Satan's."

Pan could see the large crowd sitting in attendance. Among them were plenty of familiar faces: her parents, Chi-Chi, and just about everyone from the party yesterday, save for the Briefs family. The four empty seats towards the entrance, which her parents had saved for them, hadn't been filled just yet.

She knew she had to focus and looked back over at her opponent, who finally began composing himself just enough to get into a fighting stance.

"I hope yer ready because I'm not holdin' back on ya!"

She took on her own and kept a close eye on him as the gong was about to be struck. From the corner of her eye...

 ***GONG***

Pan noticed Vegeta and Bulla walking towards their seats with Bulma right behind them. Just then, Bulla stopped in her tracks, catching Vegeta's attention, and looked back at her.

"Pan!"

Just then, Pan realized the match had started and saw Wild Tiger's fist heading right for her. She barely blocked it in time, but was still sent back across the ground as a result of the force of the punch. She finally came to a stop, then crouched over, frustrated that she distracted herself.

"What am I doing?" she thought to herself. "He could've knocked me out of the ring! Is that how I want to go out: letting my mind wander? Pay attention, stupid!"

"Wild Tiger threw the first punch and while blocked, Pan was sent back several feet," said the Announcer.

As Pan tried to recompose herself, Wild Tiger's expression has began to shift.

"Heh, that'll teach her to think she's better than me," Wild Tiger thought to himself.

"Well, it seems to me that Pan gave him a free shot. To, uh, gauge his strength," explained Hercule.

Just then, that remark removed any semblance of achievement from his strike, as it seemed the audience bought what Hercule was saying.

"Undermine me, will you?" snarled Wild Tiger, who ran towards Pan with all haste.

"Okay, calm down," Pan thought to herself. "Just get back in the match."

She finally got back into her stance as she saw Wild Tiger lunging towards her.

He struck only air, seeing no trace of Pan, who had stepped to the side of him.

"And a swift dodge by Pan."

Just as Wild Tiger swung his arm at her, it was like it phased right through her. By the time he looked down below him and saw the real Pan ducking, she had already hopped upward with a flying knee to his face.

He stepped backward, his feet nearing the arena's edge, then as he began to regain his balance, he saw Pan running right for him. Realizing his nose was bleeding from the hit prior, he readied both his hands for a swing.

"Don't underestimate me, brat!"

Pan saw the move being choreographed a mile away as she hopped upwards towards the two-handed swing.

"I don't underestimate anyone..."

In mid-jump, she grabbed onto both of his hands, moving with them before continuing to move with their momentum along with her own. Suddenly, Wild Tiger realized he was being turned around by his opponent and despite trying to stop it, he was already spinning in place.

"Look at them go, spinning like cyclones!"

Finally, Pan stepped onto the ground as Wild Tiger was being lifted off his feet.

"I just fight them!"

Pan tossed Wild Tiger and he went hurdling out of the ring, trying to land on his feet. Instead, he saw them and his legs being embedded into the grass by the sheer force of the throw. Before his upper body could be driven underground as well, his back struck the wall, leaving an indent.

"What a throw! The winner by ring out... Pan!"

With the match concluded, Pan looked over at the crowd and saw Bulla cheering for her.

"You're the best, Pan!"

Pan waved back to her, then over at her parents and grandmother. She finally took her leave back to the room from before.

"Good job, but that's just one match so far," Pan thought to herself. "Can't get cocky."

* * *

Several matches flew by as Pan waited for her next battle. Kani was right nearby, the two knowing that they would be against each other in the ring soon.

"She didn't take that long to beat Nam, a veteran contender," Pan pondered to herself. "Just what is her secret?"

"Kani and Pan, please report to the arena."

Kani placed her hand over Pan's shoulder.

"That's us."

Pan nodded back to her and the two made their way outside to the cheers of the crowd and their families.

"Two years in a row, Tien and Goku fought on another and each of them went on to be champion. Now we have Tien's daughter Kani against Goku's granddaughter Pan."

Pan watched Kani carefully, waiting to see her get into a fighting stance of some kind. Instead, Kani just stood regularly, as if she wasn't even in a fighting tournament.

 ***GONG***

Pan continued waiting, eyeing her idle stature for any movements whatsoever. She caught a grin forming over Kani's face.

"Okay, Pan, you got me."

Kani closed her eyes and inhaled, then as she exhaled...

 ***POOF***

Pan couldn't believe her eyes: Kani's hair had turned blue and her eyes green. From there, Kani took on a stance similar to Tien's with her own twist.

"Pretty smart waiting on me. But now you'd best get ready."

Her voice was still hers, but changed, as if more gruff and a little cocky.

Pan didn't think on this for long as she saw Kani having covered the distance quickly and unleashing a barrage of jabs. Pan recognized this technique from her time training with Tien: the Machine Gun Fist.

With that knowledge, Pan began guarding against it despite Kani's impressive speed. Neither could completely overtake the other, with Kani unable to get around Pan's defense and Pan unable to slip past Kani's offensive to counter-attack.

That was until Kani stopped her attack, which Pan took advantage of with a swinging kick. But as she threw it, she saw Kani sliding on the ground beneath it with her fist poised, though it looked less like an offensive attack and more like she was about to hit...

"You're up!"

Pan felt herself knocked upward off her feet.

"One!"

Then Pan was struck higher into the air with a two-handed shove.

"Two!"

Just as Kani leaped above her with the finish, Pan had intercepted her slamming fist with a palm strike.

"Would you look at that, folks! After Kani used her father's Volleyball Fist technique, her and Pan are now trading blows in midair!"

Tien watched his daughter trading punches and kicks with Pan high above the arena, hearkening back to his battle with Goku in the 23rd tournament.

Kani broke off the clash and fired off a one-handed beam, which Pan swerved in midair to avoid. Pan then flew in with two kicks, each sending Kani upward before Pan rose above her with both fists. As she went to deliver a double axe handle down onto Kani, she saw her blow blocked by one hand and didn't see the other hand until it was too late.

A chop struck the back of Pan's neck, sending her flying downward toward the ground rapidly.

"A thunderous blow by Kani and Pan is coming down fast!"

Hercule ducked behind the podium, barely able to watch Pan's descent. Just then, Pan flipped like a top on its side and landed on her feet, leaving only a few cracks on the tile floor.

"What a recovery!"

Hercule changed his demeanor the second right after Pan landed safely.

"Uh, yeah! I knew she would do that! Why, landing from that high up is like second nature to my Pan!"

Pan heard the comment, but put her mind off it and instead watched as Kani flew downwards towards her, her arms crossed and her head in front. First Pan stepped to the side, but as Kani flew back around for her, she ducked underneath it. Kani turned once more for a third pass, but this time, Pan timed it up until the final moment to avoid it.

"Look out!," shouted Hercule in worry.

Pan hopped over, placing her hand on Kani's head to help propel her further upward, as she then unleashed a two-handed palm strike to Kani's back. Pan landed to the ground as she saw Kani rolling across the ground.

"Wait, were you warning Pan to avoid Kani's attack?" inquired the announcer.

"What? No, no, no. I, uh, warned her opponent to get ready for a big hit... because Pan's got a ton of power, you see..."

With Kani taking her time getting back up, Pan was starting to find Hercule's comments a bit embarrassing.

"Oh... grandpa Hercule..."

She then drew her attention back to Kani, who got back onto her feet, then began unzipping her jacket.

"My dad told me all about how your grandfather caught him off-guard..."

Beneath her jacket was a short light green top, not unlike what Launch wore in her younger days.

"...to make sure history didn't repeat itself."

She threw her jacket to the ground, which made a loud thunk upon touching the tile ground.

"It seems Kani had been wearing a weighted jacket the entire time. Now she's bound to be even faster than before."

"Uh, sure... we'll have to see about that."

Pan wasn't expecting this: an opponent who wore weighted clothing. As far as she knew, it was a dying breed that was rarely used anymore. Even then, she didn't let Kani see any signs of panic.

"You're not the only one here with weighted clothes."

She took off her wristbands and undid her boots, all of which struck the ground hard.

"And now..."

Pan reached downward, ready to pull up her undershirt, then realized what she was doing.

"Crap!" Pan said in her head. "There's no way I can take off my weighted shirt out here!"

She let go and simply tried to wipe off her shock and get back into her stance.

"Still have something weighing you down, I see..." said Kani, who took on an even cockier grin as her stance seemed to change slightly.

"Not a problem," Pan replied back, a grin on her face as well.

"Both contestants have taken off weights, but neither's made a move just yet."

"Ah, well it's the ones that don't move that you gotta worry about," Hercule stated. "Take it from me: if they aren't moving, they're anticipating your every move."

Both suddenly broke off the standoff and charged into each other. Before either could collide, they were stopped by each other's hands, which gripped each other tight to keep their opponent from moving forward or backward.

"Now it looks like we're in the middle of a power struggle with neither able to overtake the other."

Hercule might've made another comment explaining how Pan was actually just making it seem to be the case to catch Kani off-guard, but Pan had filtered out all the noise around her, only focusing on her opponent in front of her. The two gritted their teeth at each other, each vying to break it off, but also not wanting to exposed themselves to a strike.

"Too bad you're not wearing your boots..."

Pan just realized her bare feet could be vulnerable to a stomp from Kani's shoes and saw her raising a foot. Pan moved her feet backward, then saw Kani's foot stamping nowhere near her: Kani had duped her. Just then, Kani fell downward, lifting Pan off her feet, as she booted Pan in the stomach upward.

As Kani saw Pan descending towards her, she placed her hands towards her face, her fingers spread towards her eyes. Just as Kani did this, Pan had performed the same gesture.

"SOLAR FLARE!", shouted both of them.

The crowd around them were blinded by a flash of light. The Z-Fighters, who recognized the technique immediately, had already shielded their eyes and were the only ones that could see what was going on besides the sunglasses-wearing announcer.

"I knew we should've gotten a sun shade for the arena," shouted Hercule. "I can't see nothin'! What's happening?!"

"It would seem that both Pan and Kani unleashed the blinding Solar Flare technique."

"Agh, are you sure it's not just the sun getting in our eyes?!"

Pan landed and blocked a strike from Kani with her wrist and her knee.

"You had the same idea as me," Kani grinned to Pan. "Clever, I'll give you that. But let's see you do this..."

Kani pushed Pan back with a burst of air, then began channeling ki for a technique her father recognized at first glance.

"Wait a minute, folks. Kani has..."

Pan went to strike, but saw her hands caught by Kani's, then saw two more hands right behind her shoulders, which then punched her in the face.

"Uh, no, that's just a trick of the eye," explained Hercule. "Pan's opponent is just moving her arms so fast it looks like there's two more of 'em."

But Pan knew otherwise: Kani had used her father's Four Witches technique to grow another pair of arms. She found herself backing up as she swerved side-to-side to avoid Kani's four-armed onslaught.

"All you've shown me so far are your dad's techniques..." exclaimed Pan. "What else do you have?"

She realized her back was at the very edge of the arena as she stopped a blow from Kani's hand that almost felt claw-like.

"WOLF...!"

Pan knew the technique all too well, catching the next claw strike.

"FANG...!"

But then Pan saw two more palms coming right at her: she'd never faced the technique with four hands before.

"FIST!"

Kani's extra arms forced Pan to cover her face, which left her upper body exposed. A flurry struck Pan's chest and stomach as she struggled to keep her guarding arms up. Finally, she gave out as a final four-armed palm strike sent her flying backward.

"The four-armed Wolf Fang Fist has Pan on the ropes and now she's flying out of the ring HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!"

Hercule and and the announcer saw Pan flying right at them as they ducked for cover. Pan saw she was heading right for the crowd, just one impact away from being rung out. She tried to stop herself...

And with her ki, managed to float entirely still in place, her feet inches from touching her grandfather's balding head. If he still had his full afro like in his younger days, Pan likely would've been out right then and there.

"From behind our podiums, it looks like Pan is floating in midair, just in time to avoid a ring out."

"Yeah, that's my grand..."

Pan flew forward before Hercule could finish his sentence, blowing his hair back with the gust of air. Kani saw Pan flying overhead and was ready to knock her to the ground. Instead, Kani heard a familiar technique from Pan as she came closer.

"Kamehame..."

Pan and Kani had both been told by their families before the match to watch it with the beam attacks: only use them when no one in the crowd was in their path. As it was, Pan's kamehameha would definitely hit the spectators behind her. Was Pan really about to risk it just to win?

"You're not fooling me..."

Kani simply side-stepped and went for a four-armed slam, only to see Pan fly underneath between her legs, then right above her.

"HAAAA!"

Kani couldn't avoid it in time and swiftly covered herself with all four arms, managing to shield herself against it. It pushed back hard, threatening to make Kani lose her footing and fall out of the arena. Sure enough, the attack dissipated.

"Kani has successfully blocked the Kamehameha, but it certainly looks like it took a lot out of her."

Pan flew right in for a kick to Kani's head, but saw all four limbs caught by Kani's hands. She turned the two around and was raising Pan upward, a prelude to throwing her out of the ring. Before Kani could toss her downward with all her might, Pan aimed one of her hands and fired off a ki blast at Kani's face, forcing her to let go.

"Pan has eluded Kani's grip, but can she get back into the ring?"

She saw the ground coming for her and as her hands were about to touch the ground first, a kamehameha fired, stopping her from touching it, then propelling her backward towards Kani. With an opening, Pan slammed into her head-first, causing Kani to flip before landing on her four arms, then running over to Pan, who was still lying on her back after the hit.

"Get up, Pan!" cried Bulla.

Kani stood above her and began throwing punches at a rapid pace, then saw Pan was either guarding them or moving her head to avoid them, with her only striking the tile below. Pan then blasted the ground beneath her, pushing her backward, then swept at Kani's legs. Even as Kani was sent off her feet, she still managed to catch Pan's oncoming assault, guarding against her punches and kicks with all four arms.

"Getting tired yet, Pan?"

"How about you?"

In mid-sentence, Pan redirected two of Kani's arms, allowing her an opening to land a crucial punch. This sent Kani toppling across the ground, then slowly getting back to her feet. But even then, Pan was panting heavily.

"The match is still going and both Pan and Kani seem to be reaching their limits."

Kani gave off one more grin before starting to channel her ki once more.

"What's it gonna be this time? Eight arms?"

"Just you wait and see..." said Kani, whose tone was still as confident as before.

Pan watched as it seemed like Kani was... splitting apart... no, multiplying...

"Folks, it looks like Kani has mastered her father's multi-form technique and each one of her has four arms: sixteen in total!"

Pan knew about the multi-form technique, but never combined with the Four Witches. Each Kani almost seemed to take on a slightly different stance than the one next to her.

"Sixteen arms are better than two," stated Kani before gesturing the arms of one of her clones in a "come on" fashion.

Pan charged at one of them, finding that this clone's defenses weren't as strong as her standard self: of course, the multi-form splits power between the four of them. After getting through that clone's guard and kicking it away, she saw herself grabbed by another from behind with another closing in to attack. She quickly elbowed the clone holding her thrice to break free, then grabbed hold of the attacking clone before swinging it into the one behind her.

The fourth clone unleashed the four-armed Wolf Fang Fist on her, which this time, she was prepared for. However, she then saw the other three circling her in, also intending to unleash the same technique.

"The four Kani's are boxing Pan in and each are unleashing dual Wolf Fang Fists. It looks like Pan has nowhere to go."

Like four wolves ready to strike, the four Kani's were set to strike at once. Pan could only try covering herself up as the strikes came in.

The eight Wolf Fang Fist's struck as planned, as the crowd couldn't see Pan through the surrounding Kani's. After the final blow, the four Kani's stepped back to see their downed opponent...

"Wait... that glow..."

They saw that Pan's entire body was covered in ki and she seemed unharmed from their attack.

"Little technique of my own. Now try this..."

The ki around her glowed even brighter before an explosive burst went off, knocking the four Kani's backward.

"Pan was entirely untouched by that devastating attack and Kani's multi-form technique appears to be tiring her out."

Not bothering to take the announcer's comment to heart, the four Kani's made their way to the four corners of the ring, where they began grasping their right arm with their left as they charged ki in their palms. One of them formed a ball of ki.

"The Spirit Ball?" exclaimed Pan.

But that was just one of the clones. The other three followed suit, creating Spirit Balls of their own. Yamcha was quite surprised.

"I can hardly believe it, Tien. She not only figured out my Spirit Ball, but she combined it with your multi-form technique."

"Yes, it is impressive..." Tien stated, but paused with a tone of concern. "...but Kani's using up a large amount of ki doing all of that along with the Four Witches technique. If she's not careful, she'll be too drained to fight."

The four Kani's finally began tossing their Spirit Balls one by one as Pan swerved to avoid them. Just then, the four Kani's redirected them, forcing them back towards Pan's position. She began hopping across the ground, having to keep up with their changing movements. Each time Pan tried to approach one of the Kani's, a Spirit Ball would intervene, forcing her back once again.

"When this fight started, I did not have dodging four Spirit Ball's in mind," Pan thought to herself.

The Kani's then directed the Spirit Balls underground, giving Pan a window of opportunity. She fired off a ki blast towards one of them, but then saw it caught by a Spirit Ball firing up from below. After that, she realized the other three weren't far behind and rolled out of the way as each pierced through the tile floor. As she made it to her knees, she realized the Kani's other two arms began forming Spirit Ball's of their own.

"Oh that's just great... eight Spirit Balls?!"

They were completed and all eight were aimed right for her. Pan simply jumped high up into the air, the eight balls in pursuit. The crowd watched as Pan and the Spirit Balls flew high above them, then disappeared into the clouds above.

"Don't think you're safe up there..." said Kani, who then had the sixteen arms working in unison to direct the Spirit Balls to their intended target.

As Pan floated high above the arena, she had to swerve side-to-side avoiding the Spirit Ball barrage. At points, she had to kick them back or even strike them away with her palms, but she also found herself being knocked back and forth by them before being knocked further into the air.

"We've got her!"

She saw all eight Spirit Balls spinning around her, each in circles of two spinning rapidly. She could tell Kani didn't want her slipping past.

The Spirit Ball's stopped spinning for a split-second, then flew right at each other with all fury.

"A massive explosion just went off in the air above us! And is that...?"

The crowd could see Pan falling towards the ground, her eyes closed and not even moving.

"Pan is falling down rapidly and isn't showing any signs of slowing down! Could she be down for the count?"

The Kani's could barely stand, one falling onto her knees, the other holding herself up with her front arms.

"At least... I pulled it off", Kani thought to herself, brushing off sweat from her forehead.

Just then, Kani's eyes shot up: Pan opened her eyes and winked at her.

"A trick! She's still in it! Now we've got to...!"

The four Kani's tried mustering the strength to fire off a ki attack, but saw that they were simply too drained to do so. From there, she saw the Four Witches technique dissipating, with the four only having two arms each now.

"Down to eight arms now, huh?"

Pan charged her hands with ki and fired off two projectiles. Two of the Kani's ducked to avoid them, but seemed slow to get right back up as Pan came right for them. The other two Kani's tried getting in a punch, but Pan caught both their fists, then swung them into each other, where they fell onto the floor. Another Kani went for a kick, then saw herself being grabbed, punched, and slammed into the two from before. The last Kani stood her ground, forming a diamond shape with her hands.

"Oh no..." said Tien.

Pan was charging for her, then stopped once she noticed the move she was about to pull: the Tri-Beam.

"Shoot..." went Pan.

As she said this, she saw the other three Kani's she had floored earlier also taking aim with the same intended technique.

"This... could be really bad..."

The crowd watched in shock as the four Kani's readied the devastating Tri-Beam technique, each charging with ki.

"No, Kani!" Yamcha cried out. "You'll use up your life energy! It's not worth it!"

"Kani, listen to me..." shouted Tien. "You'll kill someone and yourself in the process!"

"Please, Kani..." cried Launch. "Don't do this!"

Kani heard the pleas from her family and realized that as much as she wanted to win, she didn't want to mortally wound or kill Pan.

"Alright."

Pan, who didn't want to get a free shot during Kani's crisis, watched as Kani lowered her arms and the three clones of her dissipated, their echoes flying back to her. Kani inhaled, then exhaled...

 ***POOF***

her hair turning blonde and her eyes blue again.

"I can no longer continue the match. I give up."

"The winner by forfeit... is Pan!"

The crowd cheered once more as Kani tried stepping forward, only to slip. Before she could fall forward, Pan ran up to her, helping her up as the two walked out of the arena together.

* * *

"You definitely gave me a run there, Kani. You combining all those techniques... you've gotta teach me some time."

"Sure thing... if you tell me how you got past the Spirit Balls earlier."

"Oh that?"

Pan managed to place Kani onto a bench as Tien and Launch entered.

"Just me thinking fast and using my ki shield again."

"A ki shield? You have to show me how you do that."

"Next time we meet, we'll do that."

Tien placed his hands over both of them.

"Kani... Pan... you both fought well."

"I'm sorry about earlier, Dad."

"I know, Kani. That other personality of yours really wanted to win. But you got it under control before it could cause any real harm."

Launch walked over to her daughter and hugged her.

"You did so well, Kani. You may not have won, but we're both so proud of you."

"Need a hand up, Kani?" offered Pan.

"Thanks for offering, but I'll be alright."

Kani found that she was able to get up on her own, though Tien and Launch took her hands just in case she needed support.

"Good luck with the rest of the tournament, Pan. We'll be rooting for you."

Pan nodded back to her as she watched Kani and her parents leaving. With two matches completed, Pan just had to wait for her third.

* * *

"Pan and Noget, please report to the arena."

It seemed to go so fast for Pan as she waited to see who would be fighting her...

The caped fighter with the bandages and sunglasses to cover his face.

"So the mystery man's name is Noget, huh?" she pondered.

After the last match, Pan made sure to remove her weighted undershirt in the changing room: she now had maximum mobility. But of course as the last match taught her especially, she had to remain ready for anything.

"And now we begin the quarter-finals, starting with Pan against Noget!"

"My Pan's already got two in the bag, so I don't think we're in for much of a surprise with this one."

"Well now, we'll have to see once the match starts, Mr. Satan."

As Pan made her way out of the arena, she couldn't help but notice something peculiar: her father wasn't in the crowd. As far as she knew, her dad had no intention of entering the tournament.

"It wouldn't really be like him to do that... then again..."

She knew that her father was particularly focused on his scholarly work, but he still took the time to train most days. Plus, there was that one time she found a caped costume in his closet, as well as a pair of sunglasses quite similar...

No, it had the exact inscription on the side as the ones her father had.

"I'd know those sunglasses from anywhere!"

She pointed over at Noget, who hardly nudged as she questioned him.

"Is that you, Dad?"

Just as she shouted this, she saw her father back in the crowd: he couldn't be in two places at once. Just realizing it couldn't be her father, she was still curious about why he had her father's sunglasses.

"Okay, just who are you and what are you doing with my dad's sunglasses?"

The man took them off, though it was still hard to tell who he was. He then began undoing the bandages, starting from below with his mouth.

"I must say, Pan..."

That voice...

"I'm really impressed that you made it this far."

Gohan and Chi-Chi were shocked at the face underneath.

"That's..."

The man then took off the cape which had covered his arms, which revealed his blue long-sleeved undershirt.

"Uncle Goten..."


	3. Uncle Goten's Power! Pan Struggles!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

The crowd watched as Goten, whose hair was nearly identical to Goku's, placed his cape onto the ground outside the arena, then tossed the sunglasses over to Gohan.

"Wait a minute, folks... it appears an error was made with the writing down of Noget's name. Not Nos Noget... Son Goten... Son Goten! The son of Goku!"

"Piccolo... did you know it was Goten this whole time?" inquired Gohan.

Piccolo nodded, then looked back at the ring, where Pan was shaken by the realization of her opponent.

Goten, however, was entirely relaxed. For him, the ring brought him a sense of clarity, almost like it was a home away from home. It brought back memories of 23 years ago...

* * *

When he was seven years old, getting to meet his father for the first time.

"Hey Chi-Chi, I think that's a little me behind your leg."

Ever since Goten was young, he had heard tales about his dad, but knew that he wasn't there. But even then, the two were ecstatic to see each other. Goku taking him up into his arms and playing airplane were among Goten's most cherished moments in his life.

"Listen well, Goku. Remember, I can only give you 24 hours. No more, no less."

He recalled those words from Fortuneteller Baba now as an adult, though at 7, he thought nothing of them. By the time he was fighting his best friend Trunks in the Junior League final, he had probably forgotten all about it.

Then he recalled participating in the tournament with Trunks, using the guise of Mighty Mask. It was working well until they went up against Videl, who got in a kick that went through their disguise, exposing the two.

"Gohan's brother, and...?"

After being disqualified, he watched the rest of the tournament with his mother in the crowd. He remembered the highlights: "Great Saiyaman" fighting Videl and the two leaving the ring happy for each other, his father fighting Vegeta in the ring, and then the final match between Goku and Hercule.

He had seen his dad get this far and was certain he'd become the new world champion. Instead...

"Can you believe it, folks? Hercule managed to ring out Son Goku with just a single punch!"

Goten couldn't believe it: he had seen his father go the distance against Vegeta only to see him lose against Hercule like that. At first, he was about to get upset...

Then he saw Goku shaking hands with Hercule, chuckling happily despite his loss. By the time Goku was in the stands hugging him, Gohan, and Chi-Chi, Goten had moved on from it.

"So, guys... now that the tournament's over, what do you wanna do now?"

Goten's day was even better after that. They went to an amusement park, where they traveled hand-in-hand like a family. Though Goten was too small for most rides, Goku still tagged along with him on the smaller kiddie coasters.

They were eating frozen treats soon afterward when he saw Gohan sitting next to Videl, ice cream cones in hand. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he could see them laughing with each other. Just then, Gohan stomped the ground so hard he accidentally caused a small shake in the ground.

"Uh, is it an earthquake?"

Videl, panicked from the shake, lost control of her hand, which sent her ice cream cone into Gohan's face.

"Gohan?"

Videl saw the ice cream still stuck on his nose, almost like a clown nose. The entire table laughed in joy, Gohan and Videl especially, who couldn't hide their blushes. Goten could barely sit in his seat, pointing at Gohan.

"Gohan looks like a clown!"

Their laughter was interrupted when Goku felt a hand striking his shoulder. Everyone turned to see who it was. Goten saw Vegeta standing before Goku with Bulma and Trunks between them.

"Hey, Vegeta! Bulma! Wanna join us?"

Goten jumped onto the ground to see Trunks as the two families ended up coming together.

A favorite moment of his and Trunks was talking Goku and Vegeta into going on a roller coaster. The two of them watched their dads going up the ramp, Goku noticing Vegeta's arms crossed. They couldn't hear what they said, but they figured Goku was telling Vegeta to put up his hands on the way down.

Sure enough, the two went down and Goku had his hands in the air and chuckling away. Vegeta saw this and decided to follow suit. After they had gone through a loop-de-loop, the two could see Vegeta with the smallest grin, trying in vain to hide it.

"I thought you said your dad didn't like roller coasters."

Once Goku and Vegeta got off the coaster, Goten saw Trunks run over to his dad.

"Was that ride fun, Dad?"

Everyone was surprised to see Vegeta in rare form: he patted Trunks on the head and smiled at him.

"Are you having fun, Trunks?"

Of course Vegeta wasn't the type to admit he was having fun, but even he wasn't immune to the infectious cheer of that day.

They had a big dinner that night, where the Saiyans especially ate copious amounts of food to Videl and Hercule's surprise, who thankfully had the money with which to pay for all of it.

At the end of the day, they all got ready to go their separate ways. Goten and Trunks traded prizes from games between them as Goku and Vegeta shook hands, wishing each other well. Afterward, Trunks saw Goku crouching down in front of him.

"Hey, Trunks. It was nice seeing you again. Keep an eye on Vegeta for me."

Before, Trunks didn't think much of Goku from what he had heard, but his view of him had changed. He shook Goku's hand like his father had before.

"You got it."

Goku then went over to Videl, who was getting ready to leave.

"It was really nice meeting you, Videl. I hope you and Gohan continue to be good friends."

He was still utterly clueless in regards to romantic relationships, but Videl shook his hand happily all the same.

"We will."

That night, Goten recalled falling asleep on his parent's bed, between Chi-Chi and Goku. It was the best day of Goten's life.

Then, the next day came.

"Why are we back at the tournament, Dad?"

Goten had enjoyed one day with his father and soon saw Fortuneteller Baba appearing before them.

"Goku, it is time."

Goten could see his mother and Gohan tearing up a little.

"What does she mean 'it's time'?"

Chi-Chi hugged Goku tightly as Goku pat her back reassuringly.

"It's okay, Chi-Chi."

He then looked over at his eldest son.

"I'm proud of you, Gohan."

"Goku, we mustn't keep them waiting."

Goten was finally starting to piece together everything: his father had to leave for good. The realization hit him so hard he couldn't control himself.

"No! Dad!"

He ran over, grabbing onto Goku's leg as tightly as he could, not wanting to let go.

"You can't go, Dad! You can't!"

Goku looked over at Goten, whose tears were running down his gi.

"You're going to be alright, Goten."

"No! Not if you go!"

Goku gently grabbed hold of Goten and lifted him up, allowing his youngest son to hug him.

"I love you, Dad."

His father hugged him back.

"Take care of Chi-Chi for me."

Goten, tears running down his cheeks, looked his father in the eyes and nodded. And as Goku placed Goten back onto the ground, he saw Goten's sadness had left his face.

"I'll grow up to be as strong as you, Dad. I promise."

Goku nodded, then joined Fortuneteller Baba as Goten watched his father leave his sight, never to be seen again.

* * *

Since that day, Goten had trained hard to become the man he had met. To become Goku. And now that he was at this tournament, he would see that come to pass. But now there he was against his niece Pan, who he could tell was panicked.

 _"Uncle Goten has trained with everyone I have... longer than I have. Even if I'm younger, he knows everything I do."_

But even then, Pan had fought hard to get to where she was now. She couldn't back out now. The shock was out of her system, replaced with determination.

"Alright, Uncle Goten. I'm ready."

"Let's both give it our very best, Pan."

Both finally took on their stances.

"With that error corrected, let the quarter finals begin!"

 ***GONG!***

Goten saw Pan rushing at him, swerving to avoid her strike. Before he could attack back, she threw a swerving kick, forcing him backward. He found himself standing in place, moving his upper body side-to-side to avoid Pan's punches towards his head.

After Goten grabbed hold of Pan's left wrist with his right hand, Goten threw his own left-handed strikes, each of which Pan redirected with her right arm.

He went for a sweep to Pan's legs, only for her to hop over it, then fire off a ki blast. Goten moved his arm to block it, then saw Pan squeezing her wrist out of his grasp.

In both their heads, it seemed like eternity had passed with the two simply avoiding or blocking each other's blows without either getting in any successful hits.

"It has been a full minute into the match so far and both remain at a standstill."

Pan and Goten paused for a moment, eyeing each other's subtle movements.

 _"I've stopped Goten from getting me so far, but I can't land anything on him either."_

"Pan can't hit me, but she's quick enough that I can't hit her."

Goten could see Pan slowly moving her feet: she was about to charge at him. He saw her flying forward and readying her fist, as he began taking on a defensive stance. As her feet touched the ground before the impending strike, Goten went for a block with his right and a counter with his left.

 _"This is too predictable for Pan."_

Just then, Goten looked and saw Pan wasn't there. The ground she was standing on just now had a few cracks: she had jumped upward. He heard something firing above him and moved to the side, avoiding a ki projectile. From there, he saw her flying above him, raining down several in his direction.

He jumped up after her, moving to avoid some ki blasts while firing some of his own to counter them. Finally catching up to her, Goten charged up ki in one hand before unleashing it in a burst. Pan guarded in time, but this powerful explosion of ki sent her far upward: it was nothing like the ones she dealt with in training.

 _"Okay, there went that plan. Let's see..."_

Pan began cupping her hands for a trademark technique Goten knew just as well as her. He proceeded to do the same as the two began the familiar chant.

"Ka..."

"Ka..."

"Me..."

"Me..."

Their cupped hands were flowing with ki.

"Ha..."

"Ka..."

"Me..."

"Me..."

Pan paused for a moment upon catching her uncle's mispronunciation.

 _"Wait a second... Kamekame? Uncle Goten should know better."_

But she realized Goten was counting on her catching that.

"Haaa!"

She wasn't in a position to fire back her Kamehameha in time as Goten's left his hands rapidly towards her.

 _"I should've stayed focused! Rookie mistake, Pan!"_

Even in her frustration, she still managed to move out of the way of it, the kamehameha firing farther into the sky. Pan saw Goten flying right at her afterward as the two clashed in midair.

"Pan and Goten are so high up I can barely describe what they're doing!"

"Yeah, they look like little ants up there!"

With a bubble of ki bursting around Pan, Goten was pushed downward as he then defended against her own onslaught. The crowd watched as Pan and Goten switched places between the attacker and defender constantly while slowly hovering lower back towards the arena.

Finally, they were on the ground once again as Pan saw Goten clearly choreographing a left punch and stopped it with a right of her own.

"Rock!"

Pan was puzzled by this.

 _"Rock? As in rock, paper, scissors?"_

She had never recalled learning any such technique, nor hearing of her grandfather using it. This was one move of Goten's she didn't know.

Pan tried to anticipate the next move: if rock was a punch, a fist, then paper would have to be a chop, or maybe a flat strike with the palm.

Yamcha could barely watch. Bulma turned to him for a moment.

"What's wrong, Yamcha?"

"A memory... just a memory is all."

Just as Pan moved her left hand to try to counter whatever paper was, she instead saw that Goten's right had snuck past her, the index and middle finger coming right for her eyes.

"Scissors!"

Pan cried out, her eyes poked, covering them with her hands. Obviously Goten wasn't trying to hurt her severely with the move, but it definitely didn't tickle. By the time she realized she was vulnerable, she felt a palm strike to her nose.

"Paper!"

She could barely tell where she was as she was sent backward.

"Pan!" Hercule cried out.

Even now, she had to try landing or else it would all be over for her. She tried touching the tile ground with her feet...

And she did. She began to slow down, but she had the feeling she was inches from leaving the square. Sure enough, her heels left and she was hanging on with her toes, struggling to keep her balance.

"Now wait a minute..." Hercules asked while turning to the announcer. "That couldn't have been a legal move..."

The announcer looked over at a paper with the rules to see if that was the case.

"Currently, poking the eyes is not an illegal move... but we'd recommend that it isn't done again."

Goten looked over at Pan, who was standing upward, but her eyes still closed and her hands over her nose.

 _"He really got me there. Uncle Goten's probably ready to ring me out right this minute."_

Finally, Goten floated upward, then flew at Pan for a two-legged kick.

 _"I can hear him. He's coming. I don't know if this'll work, but it's all I have right now."_

Just as Goten closed in, he saw Pan creating two spheres of energy in her hands. He tried to hurry, but before his feet could hit their mark...

He felt something keeping him in place, almost like he was being pulled into a vacuum.

 _"What? How is she...?"_

He could barely move as more and more ki generated in Pan's arms.

"What's this? Pan has stopped Goten in his tracks with a fantastic new technique!"

Goten suddenly felt himself being pushed backward as he then saw Pan combining the two spheres together. Even as he tried to shield himself with his wrists, a large pink sphere of energy emerged in front of him, threatening to break through his guard.

Just then, the sphere burst, causing Goten to grind across the tile floor back-first before coming to a stop by putting his hand into the floor, pinning him in place before he could fly back further.

"Yeah, that's the way, Pan!" shouted Hercule, his arm up in joy for her.

Pan could still barely see, but she knew an opportunity was in front of her and came right at Goten.

Goten was slow to get up, his long sleeves torn, practically made short-sleeved at this point, and his orange gi was partially singed.

 _"That power... I could've been sent out of the arena."_

As he mused over this, he saw Pan about to attack. She still had her eyes closed, but Goten saw her duck under his swing and punch him in the stomach.

 _"Shoot... I'm still sluggish from that move."_

This time, Pan was finally starting to land blows on Goten. He couldn't cover himself fast enough in the state he was in, and even the strikes he could land barely glanced her enough to throw her off.

"You can do it, Pan!" shouted Bulla from the crowd.

With the exceptions of her, Hercule, and Pan's parents, the rest of the Z-Fighters were torn on who to root for. Chi-Chi especially couldn't pick between her youngest son and her granddaughter.

As Goten was being forced further back, Pan's eye sight began to clear up, giving her an even better advantage.

"Pan has completely turned the tables on Goten. This match may just be over."

Pan saw Goten crossing his arms and aimed for the head to get around them. But then she heard Goten shouting...

A flash of golden light got into her eyes as she felt herself being pushed back by a surge of ki. As she began to get up, her vision was now clear of blurs.

 _"What was that?"_

She didn't even have to look at Goten to realize he had powered up: ki was surging from his body.

 _"He couldn't..."_

Her eyes shot up: Goten's hair was...

 _"Uncle Goten's gone... Super Saiyan."_

The crowd was stunned, almost speechless.

"I think Goten must be wearing a special kind of hairspray. One that, uh, changes your hair color in direct sunlight."

"But wait, Mr. Satan. We've been in direct sunlight this entire time."

"Well, it needs a lot of sunlight. Plus, it takes time, y'know?"

Hercule's excuse for Goten's change in appearance weren't helping Pan's nerves. She knew how powerful Super Saiyan's sounded in the tales of her grandfather using the form. And here she was, faced against the first Super Saiyan she had ever seen in her life.

 _"What am I supposed to do now? Do I even have a chance?"_

She looked down to her fists, whose fingernails dug into her palms.

 _"I don't have a choice. I have to try."_

Goten watched as Pan tried taking on a similar stance he had before, charging with ki, shouting throughout.

Chi-Chi knew what Pan was trying to do in desperation.

"Oh no..."

Videl and Gohan watched as their daughter tried attaining the form in mid-battle.

"Gohan... she's..."

He couldn't even speak: he didn't know what was going to happen.

Bulla turned to her father in concern.

"Can she do it? Can Pan go Super Saiyan, Dad?"

vegeta looked back to his daughter, but didn't have an answer for her.

Hercule didn't know what to think.

"Please be okay, Pan."

Goten continued watching as Pan attempted a transformation, but saw no signs of any gold in her hair or her eyes turning green: all she was doing was burning through her own ki. With that in mind, he finally looked ready for combat.

Pan saw Goten getting ready to make a move and prepared for this while still trying to attain Super Saiyan as quickly as she could. She took a step forward, expecting him to fly straight for her...

Instead seeing only a streak of gold zooming past her. She turned around as quickly as she could, ready to block, but even then, Goten's punch slammed her into the tile floor, causing her to bounce up into the air.

 _"I couldn't barely keep up with his movement! I couldn't even block that!"_

She flipped multiple times in midair, both to regain control and to get some distance, but Goten didn't even have to get near her: he thrusted his fist forward, pushing Pan back with a powerful gust of air.

"Oh, I can't look!" said Hercule, covering his eyes.

Pan's feet were about to hit the wall over the crowd, but she stopped herself in midair just before and flew right to her uncle, fists raised. She went on a barrage, trying as hard as she could to land just one hit on Goten, but seeing him continually disappearing and reappearing left to right to avoid everything she threw at him.

Realizing this wasn't working, Pan finally fired off two ki blasts, which Goten didn't try to avoid, then jumped backward, panting heavily and her expression of frustration and confusion plainly visible on her face.

"It seems that Goten has Pan on the ropes!"

"Oh, that? Uh, that's a classic technique of mine. You make your opponent think you're giving up and not fighting for real, then when they take the bait, it's all over. It's a highly advanced technique, mind you. Not one just anyone can pull off."

"You're not helping, Grandpa Hercule!" Pan practically shouted in her head.

She went for the first thing she could think of: she ran around Goten, various afterimages of her following suit. Would it work? She had no guarantee, but she didn't have time to think it through.

"It now looks like Pan is using the Afterimage Technique."

"See, look at that! Pan's moving around so fast he couldn't possibly keep up with her."

Goten closed his eyes, then threw a punch from his side. Pan managed to duck just in time, but the sheer force blew her back towards the edge of the ring, her ear ringing. She fell onto her knees for just a moment, slow to lift herself back up.

 _"I can still stand. I can still fight. I'm not giving up."_

She finally got back onto her feet, her fists raised as Goten floated towards her. She then quickly shifted her hands to the sides of her face by her eyes.

"Solar FLARE!"

A flash flew towards the crowd, blinding most of the spectators. The announcer once more was unaffected thanks to his sunglasses while Hercule was not as fortunate.

"The sun's getting in my eyes again!"

Pan looked over to see if Goten was even affected, but she saw Goten nowhere in sight. She could hear him charging ki to her left and turned to strike him, only to see no sign of him once more.

 _"Can't give up. Can't stop now."_

She then heard Goten to her right. Once more, nothing. She then saw Goten standing right before her, his back facing the edge of the arena. As much as Pan was tempted to jump backward or even stumble in terror, she grinded her teeth and punched him in the face.

 _"Wait...!"_

Her fist had gone right through his head. Then afterward, his image disappeared entirely. She heard a flash behind her and even as she tried to turn around, she felt something strike the back of her neck.

After Goten's chop, Pan lost her footing, watching in slow motion as she fell towards the grassy ground outside the square.

 _"Is it... all over?"_

Pan could see her hand twitching: she wasn't paralyzed. She could still move.

 _"No, it's not over..."_

She span horizontally, reaching for the tile floor, but seeing only the side. But she had to try to stay in the fight.

 _"Come on!"_

She struck the side with her hand, embedding into it with her fingers and stopping her fall.

 _"I've done it! I'm still in it! I can still..."_

"We have ourselves a ring out!"

She looked down at her feet and saw one of her legs clearly raised off the ground, and the other...

Her toes touched the grass. She didn't even notice it because she was so caught up in the moment of trying to stop herself.

"Goten wins the match by ring out!"

Hercule was stunned.

"Are you sure? I couldn't see because of the sun."

The announcer pointed at his sunglasses, meaning he could see even when everyone else was blinded by the Solar Flare from earlier.

"Oh." Hercule sighed, finally accepting that Pan had lost. "Pan fought well up to the very end."

The match finally over, Goten's hair reverted back to normal and to the shape of Goku's as he walked over to Pan, who was still hanging onto the edge of the arena. He crouched over to look her in the eyes.

"You did well, Pan."

Goten put out his right hand to help her up. Time seemed to pause as Pan vented in her head.

 _"I couldn't do it. Nothing I did worked. I needed Super Saiyan to stand a chance... and I just can't."_

Even then, she put a smile on her face and grabbed onto Goten's hand with hers.

"No, you did well, Uncle Goten."

As the two stood before each other post-match, she put her hands together and bowed her head to him as Goten did the same back to her. The crowd cheered at the respect the two paid to each other as the two finally left the arena.

* * *

Upon being eliminated, Pan sat in the crowd next to Bulla and in front of her parents as they watched the rest of the tournament to see how far Goten could go. Sure enough, they were at the final match.

"Here we are, at the grand finale! Goten, the son of Goku, against last year's champion, Nareg!"

They saw a blonde-haired man in a light purple and white martial arts top with a collar. He wasn't quite the pretty boy of his younger days, but his slicked hair and two bangs in the front still made him irresistible even now.

"That Nareg guy's pretty cute, huh Pan?"

Pan didn't answer, instead watching the match about to commence.

 ***GONG!***

It didn't take long before Goten knocked Nareg out of the ring.

"It's all over, folks! Goten wins by ring out!"

She watched with her family and friends as Goten took his place before the announcer, whom raised Goten's fist into the air.

"Goten is the new martial arts champion of the world!"

Thunderous applause roared across the crowd as Pan applauded her uncle as well.

* * *

Soon after, the family was eating together, a massive table covered with food between them. Goten was eating up a storm, not unlike his father, to the chuckle of Goku's old friends.

Gohan and Videl noticed Pan, whose appetite sometimes neared that of her grandfather, was hardly eating.

"You okay, Pan?" inquired Videl.

"Yeah..." answered Pan. "Just don't want to get a stomach ache."

"Just let us know if there's anything you need," replied Gohan.

* * *

It was getting late and everyone was getting ready to go their separate ways. Pan sat by a bench by herself as she saw everyone else around Goten. She was approached by Yamcha, who sat next to her.

"It's a rough break, I know."

Pan hadn't looked over at him yet, still looking down at her feet.

"I made it to the quarter-finals three times... and each time, someone stopped me."

He wrapped his arm around her back to tap her on the shoulder.

"Always keep trying. I'll be rooting for you at the next tournament."

Pan smiled at Yamcha as he began to get back up.

"Be seeing you, Pan."

From what she could hear, it sounded like Goten was about ready to leave. She got up from the bench and walked over to her uncle, her hand out to shake.

"Congratulations, Uncle Goten."

He took her hand and shook back with a genuine smile of appreciation.

"Thank you, Pan. Keep up your training and we're bound to face each other again."

He waved his hand to her and everyone around him as he flew off into the night sky.

"Hey, Pan..."

Bulla approached Pan, Bulma and Vegeta alongside her.

"We're turning in for the night. Call me up tomorrow, okay?"

"You got it."

* * *

Pan lied in her bed, trying as hard as she could to get to sleep. She obviously did a lot for one day and it was clearly the time for her to rest. She folded her pillow and turned her body.

She was still awake another hour later. A warm shower later, she tried to cool off in her bed to try again.

Even with her eyes shut as much as she could shut them, no dreams came to her: just the blackness of closed eyes.

 _"Maybe I should get in some exercise. Tire myself out."_

Donning fitness attire, Pan tried various workout machines throughout the house. Weights. Pushing. Pulling. Her arms. Her legs.

Still nothing.

 _"I can do everything at the max weight. I can go past it, but I'll break the machines. All of this is just a warm-up."_

She mused over what to do next.

 _"There's nothing else I can do... here."_

She looked out a window, knowing that Bulla's house was just a flight away. Her family still had the gravity machine outside their place. Maybe if she trained with that...

 _"It'll just take a few minutes to fly there. I can use that for a while, then I'll be back and able to sleep."_

Pan opened it, but then...

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

Her father walked over to her, dressed in striped sleepwear and rubbing his glasses with a cloth.

"Well?"

"I'm having trouble sleeping, so I'm going to go work out outside for a bit and..."

"You're going to Bulla's to use the gravity machine."

Pan couldn't talk her way out of this one: her dad practically read her mind.

"Look, Pan, I understand you're frustrated about the tournament because you lost to your uncle..."

She pointed right at her father, nearly poking him in the chest.

"You think that's what this is about?! Me losing to my uncle?!"

Gohan stepped back to give her space while trying to raise his hands in a "calm down" fashion.

"You told me grandpa was the only one who ever went Super Saiyan... and now so can Goten!"

"I didn't want you to think that..."

"That what?! That I can't do it?! That no matter how hard I work, no matter how much I sweat and bleed, that I can never go Super Saiyan?!"

"Pan, please listen..."

"All my training all of my life was for nothing because I couldn't even do it! Not even if my life depended on it!"

"But your life didn't depend on it. It was a fighting tournament. Nothing was at stake."

He took off his glasses, then put a hand on Pan's shoulder.

"I think it's time I showed you..."

With a burst of ki, Gohan's hair turned a golden hue.

"Your grandfather taught me..."

"You kept this from me?! All of this time?!"

Seeing her father go Super Saiyan had set off Pan even more.

"Pan, I..."

"You knew I had tried for so many years, yet you didn't help me?! You kept it to yourself!"

"I'm sorry, Pan. I..."

She brushed his hand off her shoulder, then turned toward the open window.

"Don't want to share it with me? Fine! Then I'll just find my own way!"

Despite Gohan putting out his hand telling her to stop, Pan flew into the night sky.

"Gohan, what happened?!"

Videl had just woken up, seeing Gohan with golden hair.

"And where is Pan?!"

He deactivated his Super Saiyan form, picked up a phone, and began dialing.

* * *

As she flew miles a minute, Pan was already regretting how she acted.

 _"Damn it... I was acting like a kid! I shouldn't have bolted like that!"_

But even then, she saw Bulla's house just eyesight away, and with it, the gravity machine outside of it. The chance to train at her hardest was right in front of her.

 _"But if I use it..."_

She remembered Bulla giving her the password for entering, which she recalled seeing her father use. A few taps and the stairway lowered. Pan checked to make sure no one else was around her and closed it shut.

Her parents didn't have a gravity machine like this at home and while Bulla trained from time to time, she had rarely used it due to her father not pushing it onto her. Even when Pan had asked to use it in the past, her parents made sure Vegeta and Bulma had it off-limits.

 _"With this, I can finally push myself far enough to go Super Saiyan."_

She had never used it before, but she found it was simple enough to navigate: the default gravity setting was 300 times Earth's gravity.

"Okay, here goes..."

Pan had her hand over the large on switch.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

Vegeta was behind her, walking towards her.

"My parents...?"

"Called, yes, but I heard you flying in before that."

She could tell from Vegeta's facial expression that he wasn't in a gaming mood.

"You want to become the strongest in the universe, is that it?!"

"I just...I just want to be able to go Super Saiyan."

"And you won't rest until you do. You're willing to go to any length, is that right?!"

Pan couldn't answer.

"That's the Saiyan pride in you. A thirst for power. The desire to be superior to everyone around you."

"It's not... it's..."

She stumbled on her own tongue: Pan didn't know what to say.

"Call it what you will, Pan, listen well: obsessing over it to no end will only ruin yourself and cost you everyone you care about."

"What do you mean?"

Vegeta sighed, then turned his back to Pan.

"It was my pride that nearly destroyed this world. I was responsible for the Cell Games... and your grandfather's death."

Pan couldn't believe it: as far as she knew, Vegeta was one of the heroes who helped stop Cell.

"I could've stopped it from happening... stopped Cell when I had the chance... if I had just swallowed my Saiyan pride. But instead, I let it all happen. All because I wanted to prove how great I was. How much better I was than everyone else."

She could tell Vegeta was trying to hide his emotions from her.

"Cell killed my grandpa, not you."

Despite her words, Vegeta turned to her, a lone tear going down his face toward his mustache.

"If I had just stopped obsessing, stopped trying to best Kakarot at everything, he would still be with us. It's my fault... and mine alone. No one else's."

She knew that her grandfather and Vegeta had a rivalry in the past, but never did she think it was that fierce. And now she truly understood why this time of year, around the time Goku was seen for the last time, always got to Vegeta.

"23 years ago, we fought one last time before he left for good. Fought with everything we had. He won. Even in the afterlife, he's perhaps the most powerful warrior in all existence. But it was then that I finally accepted what I was: one of the strongest warriors besides him. I could stop obsessing. Live content with what I am. Be free of my pride."

He turned back to her, wiping the tear off his face with his hand.

"I only wish I had learned that while your grandfather was alive."

Pan saw what Vegeta was trying to tell her: that his pride, his quest to become the best, was destructive, and if she wasn't careful, she could go down the same path.

"Now go on home to your parents."

As Pan walked out of the gravity machine, she paused for a moment, trying to come up with a way of thanking him, or even reassuring him that he was still a good person. But at that moment, Pan couldn't convey it in words. So she left, Vegeta still standing in the gravity machine as the door closed and the room darkened to pitch-black.

* * *

Finally arriving home, morning fast approaching, Pan unlocked the front door, seeing her parents waiting for her.

"Mom, Dad... I'm sorry. I'm just so frustrated with myself. With what I can't do right now. I shouldn't have run off like that."

Her parents' eyes steered away from her.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

Pan began to notice they were looking behind her, their expressions showing a sense of dread.

"What is it?"

She turned around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary...

Except for a massive round spaceship hovering over the city nearby. Pan grabbed onto her dad.

"What is that, Dad?!"

"...Frieza's men."


	4. Frieza Force Invasion! Against an Army!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

At the main Capsule Corp building, Trunks sat at his desk, filling out various forms in front of him, a stack of them on his right and a small television on his left. He was quite busy as the CC president, so the television was more-so for background noise than to actually watch. Rarely did he ever turn his gaze away from his work...

"Breaking news: a large spaceship can be seen floating over Satan City."

Trunks may not have seen the spaceship before in his life, but it definitely struck him as something that could spell trouble. He stopped what he was doing, took off his coat, and opened a window. Just as he did this, his assistant Otokosuki, donning a light blue suit and with short black hair and a mustache, stepped into the room.

"Wait, sir, what are you doing?!"

"Cancel all my appointments. I'm taking a sick day."

"But sir, who will run the building while you're gone?"

"Uh, tell you what: you're in charge while I'm gone."

He flew out the window with haste towards Satan City as Otokosuki watched in utter confusion.

* * *

"But the question still remains: if these visitors are hostile, where is Mr. Satan?"

Hercule was sitting on a chair, his eyes wide open.

"Oh man... please be peaceful visitors."

The door to his room slammed open.

"Dad, we've got a serious situation!"

He turned to see Videl, Gohan, and Pan, all three of whom looked just as shaken up as he did.

"I've seen that kind of ship before," said Gohan. "It belongs to Frieza's forces."

"So you're saying that they're..."

"They are not peaceful visitors!"

"Agh, just my luck...!"

And they're bound to attack at any moment!"

"Come on, Dad! We've got to help get everyone in this city to safety!"

Hercule got up out of his seat.

"You've got it."

* * *

The four of them moved from house-to-house as quickly as they could, knocking on doors and shouting into yards and open windows. Hercule had a large megaphone and a truck driving him across town.

"Attention citizens of Satan City: I, Hercule, ask that you leave your homes and get to the nearest shelter outside of town immediately! Double time, now! You can have all your stuff back when the situation's all over!"

Crowds of panicked people ran out of their homes and across the street, then struggled to get their vehicles through without hitting anyone. Pan moved as quickly as she could to warn everyone, but even she was getting some fatigue.

"We're a bit underhanded here. I don't know if even we can get everyone out in time."

Just then, she saw a speeding capsule car driving through an alley, smashing trash cans and fences, and fast approaching a young boy who didn't even see it coming.

"Stop!"

Pan tried flying towards it, but saw that she was too late to stop it.

"Hey!"

She saw that Yamcha in his orange gi stood in front of the car, stopping it with both hands.

"Watch where you're going, buddy! I know you're scared, but you could've hurt someone!"

Pan rushed over to the young boy, who was just as stunned as she was.

"It's okay. Come along."

She grabbed him by the hand and the two moved out of the way of the vehicle's path. Afterward, Yamcha flew to the side of the vehicle and tapped it on the hood.

"Drive carefully, okay?"

After the vehicle began to move again, this time at a more controlled pace and minding the people around the driver, Yamcha approached Pan and the boy.

"Anyone else with you, Yamcha?"

"Yeah. I flew here with Tien and Chiaotzu."

He then turned to the boy and crouched to his eye level.

"You okay, kid? Can't find your parents?"

The kid didn't speak, but nodded back to him.

"Tell you what: I'll help you find your parents. Just try to point me in the right direction, okay kid?"

He gently lifted the boy onto his shoulders and slowly began to float off the ground.

"Keep getting people to safety, Pan. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Pan nodded then the two flew off in opposite directions.

"Now where could my parents be?"

"Come along now, citizens!"

She heard what clearly had to be her dad's voice, but as if he were doing an impression of some kind.

"Why does he sound like a superhero?"

She flew downward towards where she heard it and sure enough, she saw two helmeted individuals with bright tunics and capes helping a family evacuate.

"Take only necessary belongings and please leave in a calm and orderly fashion."

"If we all do our part, we reduce the risk of panicked accidents."

Pan stood, stunned to see her parents dressed like that. As soon as their capsule vehicle began to leave...

"Mom? Dad?"

The two turned towards Pan, Gohan trying to continue disguising who they were.

"Uh, no, young lady. We are not your mother and father. We are..."

"Honey, she's 18."

He sighed, then cleared his throat.

"Pan, we don't have much time. That ship's bound to drop soldiers at any moment."

"I know, Dad, but we don't have enough people to get the whole city to safety. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu are here, but still."

"Not for long, I wager!"

Gohan briefly took on his Great Saiyaman voice again, then put his hand behind his head.

"Uh, sorry. But with this..."

He clicked on his helmet.

"Bulma? If you're there, Satan City needs your help."

* * *

"Already ahead of you, Gohan..."

The three turned to see flying Capsule Corp vehicles arriving on the scene a few streets ahead of them.

"Trunks and I arranged for Capsule Corp to bring them to our building. Just far enough away from the city to keep them out of harm's way."

"Good. Very good. And is Vegeta...?"

"He should be arriving..."

The three heard a hard landing behind them...

"...now."

Vegeta stood in a blue and white battle suit. Pan had never seen him dressed like that before. He turned to Gohan, already seeing through his costume.

"Gohan, for your sake, I hope you've kept up your training."

Another stomp from next to Vegeta: Trunks wearing a similar battle suit to his father's. The five of them turned to see Tien and Chiaotzu descending onto the area alongside Yamcha. Tien had a dark blue gi and white undershirt with a weighted cape.

"Trunks..."

"Tien..."

The eight saw Piccolo back in his traditional purple gi.

"Mr. Piccolo..."

Krillin flew in afterward with 18 beside him. As they landed, Pan was surprised to see 17 landing soon afterward, someone she rarely saw.

"It's been a while, huh?"

Just then, Gohan saw a massive Capsule Corp plane-like vehicle landing in front of them. The pilot: Bulma.

"We're here."

"We?"

The back opened and aside from various Capsule Corp staff emerging to gather any remaining civilians in the area, Master Roshi stepped out in a black and white martial arts uniform. Yajirobe came out of the transport as well, sporting a mustache. He turned to Vegeta...

"Well this is unexpected... seeing you on our side, Vegeta."

"It's been 35 years..." replied Vegeta.

"Fine. Just don't punch me."

Pan didn't understand the context between the two as Vegeta grumbled to himself.

"Nice mustache, by the way."

Vegeta said nothing back, perhaps taking the compliment. Immediately after this, Pan turned to see Goten, wearing the same orange gi and blue undershirt from the tournament yesterday.

"Bro."

"Goten."

Then Pan saw her grandmother, sporting her blue and red uniform.

"Grandma, you're..."

"I can't stand on the sidelines this time. Bulma, how many are there on that ship?"

Bulma had placed a green scouter over her eye, one which Pan had only ever seen in a display case at Bulla's.

"A thousand bodies at least... and someone with such a high power level this thing can't register it."

Yamcha was looking over at all the Z-Fighters around him and counting with his fingers.

"Let's see... with me, that makes 16."

Gohan and Videl counted as well, then turned over to him afterward.

"16?" inquired Videl. "Don't tell me you're thinking of having our daughter in the fight."

Pan turned, seeing a confrontation between Yamcha and her parents.

"Look, we're underhanded as is. We're going to need all the help we can get. And you saw her at the tournament yesterday."

"That doesn't mean she's ready for life-or-death!"

On the Capsule Corp plane, Kani, Bulla, and Launch were helping people get onboard in an orderly fashion. The three of them could overhear the argument.

"Gohan, you were ready for it when you were half her age."

"That's not the same and you know it!" shouted Gohan as he pointed at Yamcha, nearly poking him in the process.

"Dad! We don't have time for this!"

Pan tried getting between her father and Yamcha.

"There's too much at risk for me to just stand idly by!"

"Pan, we can't..." said Gohan. "We can't ask you to put your life on the line."

"If those stories you told me about these guys are true... then our whole planet is at stake."

With everyone on board the plane, Bulla stepped toward the group. Bulma grabbed hold of her daughter's arm.

"Where are you going?! I can't just leave you here!"

"Pan's right: this is our home. I have to help."

"But you already have: you've helped these people get to safety."

"The people HERE. What happens if Frieza's men win? Then it'll have been for nothing."

Tien then saw Kani walking towards the group as well.

"Kani! Your mother and I...!"

He then saw Launch behind her.

"Launch... I can't let you two do this."

But Tien could tell by Kani and Launch's expressions of determination to help that he couldn't talk them out of it.

"It's our home, Tien. All of our homes."

Vegeta gently pushed Bulma's hand off of their daughter.

"As long as I draw breath, I won't let them hurt Bulla. I promise you that."

Initially shocked at Vegeta, Bulma realized she shouldn't have been surprised at his decision. Soon after, Tien sighed, then placed his hands over both his wife and daughter.

"You both need to be on your guard at all times. Get distracted for even a second..."

"...and you'll be dead," Vegeta said bluntly.

Finally, Gohan and Videl begrudgingly turned to their daughter.

"Alright, Pan... but this is the real deal. As soon as the fighting starts, you may find yourself on your own."

Bulla tapped Pan on the shoulder.

"I'll watch over Pan."

Vegeta turned, surprised at the idea of Bulla acting as a bodyguard to someone.

"And I'll watch over you, Bulla," replied Pan.

Gohan reached for something behind his back.

"Just keep this on your person at all times..."

He took out a red case, which held a red staff inside of it.

"Grandpa's Power Pole?"

Gohan placed it in her hands.

"Yes. Now remember, if you need it to get something from far away, just shout 'Power Pole Extend' and it'll do the rest."

Pan nodded as Bulma did the head count herself.

"Well even with all of you as is, that just makes... 19."

"Well I count 20."

They saw Hercule, having exited his truck. While Pan was concerned for her grandfather's safety, as far as she knew, Hercule was the former world champion who had actually managed to best Goku in the ring.

"Dad, you can't be..."

"Earth's our home, remember? Besides, I may be able to get their attention. Draw them out for you."

Goten looked at the group, then back at Frieza's ship, trying to calculate something.

"If we're looking at a thousand of Frieza's men and 20 of us... that would mean we each need to defeat... umm... let's see..."

"About 50 per person," answered Gohan.

"Fifty?" asked Hercule. "Ha! Leave a hundred of them to me."

Vegeta chuckled to himself.

"I was going to say the same thing."

Soon after this exchange, a loud noise came from the ship: two large doors at the bottom began to slowly open.

"Get these people out of here, Bulma," ordered Gohan. "We'll take it from here."

Bulma nodded and ran back to the plane's cockpit. Meanwhile, the 20 began to split into their groups:

* * *

Chi-Chi, Launch, Yajirobe, and Hercule gathered in one quadrant to stop any Frieza Forces that could successfully touch down near them. Hercule showed Launch to his truck, which had plenty of capsules filled with weaponry.

"The truck and all these capsules are all yours. Are you ready for this?"

Launch took out a packet of pepper from her pocket and ripped it open in front of her nose, causing her to sneeze.

 ***POOF!***

Her hair had turned yellow with streaks of silver as she took out a machine gun and armed it.

"You bet... Mark."

Hercule had never heard anyone bluntly refer to him by his first name... except for Launch's other personality.

* * *

Pan, Bulla, and Kani had formed a group of three in another quadrant, but were then approached by Videl.

"Gohan, you go on ahead. I'll stay with them."

Her husband nodded, then flew upward as she remained on the ground with Pan and the rest.

"Alright Mom, what do you want us to do?"

"I'll be out in front. You three will attack from the side."

* * *

Master Roshi, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha would cover one of the lower quadrants.

"The Turle School's back in action. You ready for this, Master Roshi?"

"Are you, Yamcha?"

Tien turned to Master Roshi.

"Yamcha and I have been keeping up our training since Kani was born. Chiaotzu has as well."

Chiaotzu nodded to Tien.

"Don't worry. I've got my eye on you, Tien."

* * *

Gohan, Trunks, Krillin, and Piccolo were near.

"I have to admit..." began Trunks. "I've been a little rusty. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

The other three turned to him.

"It's been peace time since the Cell Games..." started Krillin. "I can't blame you."

"Still..." Piccolo stated. "You need to keep up your guard. Don't focus on just one enemy. And watch out for each other."

"Will do, Mr. Piccolo."

* * *

Vegeta, 17, 18, and Goten would be the highest up, just over the top of the rooftops to pick off as many from landing as they could.

"So..." began 17. "Gohan..."

"Goten."

"Goten. Right, right. I hardly hear from you these days. What's new on your...?"

"We can play catch-up later," interrupted 18. "Right now, we need to focus."

"You heard the lady..." replied Vegeta, looking up at the ship. "But then again, you do have the strongest warrior on the planet on your side."

"This again, Vegeta?" asked 17.

"You know, Vegeta, I've always wanted to see how I'd fare against you," Goten replied to Vegeta. "Maybe once this is all finished, we could have ourselves a spar."

"You're on..." answered Vegeta. "But first, I have a hundred of these fools to take care of."

* * *

From within the ship, Frieza's hordes watched with anticipation as the door finally opened enough that they could begin to exit towards the city below. They looked down as their scouters began scanning for bodies below them. Sure enough, with several humans, a Namekian, two androids, and several Saiyans, they knew what they were in for.

"They may have power levels on their side... but we have the greater numbers. Move out, men! CHARGE!"

The first batch finally began their descent, roaring in unison...

...as they found themselves swarmed by ki projectiles from the four closest to them.

"Evasive maneuvers!"

Those who were struck head-on fell towards the city streets below as the rest tried spreading out to avoid the barrage. Just then, Vegeta heard Gohan flying in from behind him.

"You four! Aim for the doors! Try to jam them!"

"Why?!"

Just then, Vegeta grinned, understanding precisely why Gohan had asked this.

"I see..."

He turned back to 17, 18, and Goten.

"You three! The doors! Keep them from opening all the way!"

With that, they redirected their fire at the massive doors still in the process of opening. This allowed the Frieza Forces to begin flying unperturbed.

"What fools! Trying to bring down the whole ship with their measly attacks!"

What they did not realize was that with enough impact between the doors and their openings, the doors bent to such a degree that the doors couldn't open any further. By the time they had realized this, they were met by a man in curious garb.

"You're finished, evil-doers!"

Gohan struck one hard enough to break his helmet as Krillin emerged on his side to kick another. Trunks punched one in the chest, then booted him away as he saw Piccolo's arm stretching behind him: he was grabbing the arm of a soldier aiming at him, which then fired, missing his mark.

Piccolo then pulled the soldier towards him, where he fired off an energy wave with the other arm to take him out.

* * *

Meanwhile, a large line of soldiers was flying towards Yamcha, who charged right at them without fear.

"Wolf Fang...!"

As the soldier closest to him began to see what he was doing, his face had already been struck by two palms.

"FIST!"

From there, he continued forward, plowing through the rest in front of him before his last blow tore through the armor of a larger soldier as he howled.

Roshi had thrown his cane at one soldier to throw off his aim, then punched him back down to the ground. He then caught the cane, used it to trip one of his foes in midair, then swung it to knock him into a group of soldiers. He then put his hands together, bulking up in size.

"Ka...me...ha...me...HAAAaA!"

He fired off a Kamehameha at the wave in front of him.

As for Tien, he found himself surrounded and put his fingers near his three eyes.

"Solar FLAAARE!"

The soldiers around him were blinded, allowing him to rapidly strike them out of his direction. He turned to see a vast squadron of soldiers already firing their ki blasts at him. Before he could act, he saw Chiaotzu in front of him, his hands raised outward.

"Chiaotzu!"

But Tien then saw that all of the projectiles had been stopped inches from Chiaotzu: his proficiency with telekinesis had more than increased over the years. He then fired the ki projectiles back at the Frieza soldiers, who were too baffled to get out of the way of their own attacks from seconds before.

* * *

Videl kicked a Frieza soldier's helmet off his head, then back-handed the helmet into another as Pan and Bulla fought surrounding soldiers back-to-back. Pan kept them at bay with swings from the Power Pole while Bulla mostly stuck to ki blasts. Kani charged ki in one of her fists, then flew forward, nearly piercing through a soldier. When three soldiers tried to take aim at her, she used the defeated one as a shield, then fired three dodon rays right through him, each hitting their mark.

"Whoa..." went Pan.

Her and Bulla looked in awe at how she had taken them down.

"That was hardcore, Kani" Bulla complimented.

As Kani grinned at them, a soldier snuck past to aim at Bulla. Before he could fire off, a larger beam sent him into the ground. The three looked upward to see Vegeta.

"Compliment each other when the battle's over. And you..."

Pan saw him pointing right at her, a very stern look in his eyes.

"Don't slack off again. Guard Bulla with your life."

He then flew back upward towards the most intense area of the battle as Pan and Bulla took his advice to heart.

"Yeah... we'd better focus, Bulla."

"Right."

Videl, meanwhile, had already downed multiple soldiers on her own.

"You three gonna help me or what?"

"Sorry, Mom! Coming!"

* * *

Launch fired her machine gun at the Frieza soldiers heading towards her. The weakest among them fell while others only saw damage done to their armor. As they began to come closer to her, Yajirobe tossed pebbles at them from the other direction, causing them to turn towards him instead. As he drew his blade, ready to strike...

One of them was kicked away by Chi-Chi, who then hopped from soldier to soldier, chopping or kicking them away. During this, Yajirobe hopped upward as well, either slashing with his sword or kicking them with his sandled feet. Those that managed to land saw Hercule standing in their way in a cocky hero pose.

"Come get a piece of the champ!"

As they prepared to fire on him, they were struck by a combination of Chi-Chi's kicks, Yajirobe's sword swings, and Launch's rapid fire.

"This is Nick Hornby from Channel 10 reporting on this massive-scale battle going on over our very own Satan City."

Hercule was baffled at the voice nearby and turned to see a reporter and a cameraman.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me..."

"From behind me, we can see former contestants of the World Martial Arts Tournament, as well as Saiyaman and Saiyawoman, who haven't been seen for years."

Nick's arm was suddenly grabbed by Hercule.

"What are you doing here?!"

Just then, the cameraman began to panic.

"Uh, Nick... Mr. Satan..."

The two turned and saw five Frieza soldiers walking towards them.

"You can take them, right Hercule?" asked Nick.

"Excuse me for a second, Nick" answered Hercule, who proceeded to run right towards the soldiers.

The soldiers, looking at him through their scouters, thought nothing of it.

"Is that Earthling so eager to throw his life away? Just look at his power level... a measly..."

His thought was immediately interrupted by Hercule tackling him to the ground, then punching him repeatedly in the head, one of them breaking his scouter.

"What's your space monocle say about me now, huh?!" shouted Hercule.

The four remaining soldiers moved in to attack him. Before they could, they were baffled to see Hercule kneeling on the ground, grasping his stomach.

"Give me a minute... I've got a... stomache ache."

Baffled at his mannerisms like before, the four just looked over at him.

"According to my scouter, he's..."

"Aha!"

Hercule rose to his feet, uppercutting that Frieza soldier.

From a distance, Nick stood reporting while the cameraman caught all of Hercule's antics while facing the other three soldiers still on their feet.

"And here right behind me, you can see our savior, Hercule Satan, battling the invaders with such ease they can barely comprehend his level of skill."

After knocking the last down with a two-handed slam, the five all unconscious on the ground, Hercule was crouched over for a moment, seemingly short of breath.

"Mr. Satan. You're not tired, are you?"

With the camera rolling, Hercule immediately stood to his feet, his arms to his side.

"Ha, ha! Of course not!"

* * *

Goten was blasting away at more oncoming Frieza soldiers alongside 17 and 18 when he could overhear commotion below him.

"Trunks!"

"No, Gohan! You'll be exposed!"

He could tell one of the groups was in trouble and flew down to assist them.

Piccolo had thrown a barrage of spheres towards a massive number of Frieza soldiers, whom watched in confusion as his aim appeared to be off. Finally, the technique revealed itself to be the Hellzone Grenade, detonating all the spheres in an explosion. As the dust and fallen soldiers settled, he still saw a massive number approaching him.

"They're still coming!"

Krillin pushed him out of the way of oncoming blasts while firing a one-handed beam to strike multiples in a row. Gohan had taken out several soldiers around Trunks, then turned back to Piccolo and Krillin.

"Cover me, Trunks!"

Trunks watched as Gohan flew towards them, then saw Goten flying in fast, sending Frieza soldiers scattering around him and drawing their attention. He didn't want his old friend to fight them alone and flew in towards Goten's side to help fight them off.

"I've got your back, Goten!"

Both were batting soldiers away from them, rotating around each other to cover all fronts at once.

"Just like old times, huh?"

But Trunks caught too late that a ki blast was heading for him. Goten pushed him away, then fired off a powerful one-handed Kamehameha, rocketing the soldiers far away from him.

"Thanks, Goten. Say... when this is all over, how'd you like to work at Capsule Corp? I mean you still don't have a job, right?"

"GOHAN!"

"It's Goten!"

"Okay! GOTEN!"

The two could see 17 and 18 were signalling for Goten to help them.

"I'll be back, Trunks."

Goten flew back with all haste as Trunks regrouped with Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin.

* * *

Tien and Chiaotzu were firing off dodon rays back-to-back as Yamcha was directing the Spirit Ball into several soldiers.

On the ground, Roshi saw several soldiers surrounding him and took on a peculiar combat stance.

"What is he doing?"

Roshi stepped backward while swerving his head backward.

"Is he... drunk?"

But from that confusion, Roshi began unleashing drunken-style kung fu on the hapless soldiers.

Yamcha saw this and, seeing how Tien and Chiaotzu were taking care of themselves, decided to fly down and help his old master. The two fought in nearly perfect unison, chopping and kicking away their opposition.

Just then, Roshi was struck on the side by a ki blast, falling onto his hands and stomach, as Yamcha quickly formed another spirit ball, knocking away any additional blasts, before tossing it right at them, pinning them to a large truck before detonating it.

He then offered Roshi a helping hand and pulled him up.

"Yamcha... even if they've slowed down their descent, the numbers of Frieza's forces are still taking a toll on us."

"You're right..."

Yamcha began looking up at the ship itself.

"I think I've got an idea..."

* * *

Pan, Bulla, and Kani were firing off rapid ki blasts, both to take out whoever they could and to keep their attention away from Videl, who took maximum advantage of it. She turned to them for a moment.

"Keep it up, girls!"

She suddenly saw herself being lifted into the air by three Frieza soldiers.

"Mom!"

But as Pan and Bulla tried running in, they saw more soldiers descending down on them.

"There's too many of them!"

They began to fire.

"Get behind me, Bulla!"

Bulla did as Pan asked as she covered herself in a shield of ki, protecting herself and Bulla as well.

Videl, meanwhile, tried wrestling her way out as two had her by the arms and one behind her wrapped his arm around her throat. She managed to fire off ki from her palms, striking the two in the stomach, then elbowed the one behind her as hard as she could. He tried to keep his hold on her, but instead, grabbed hold of her helmet, tearing it off of her.

She thought nothing of it, elbowing him once more, then floating above them before going for several stomp-like kicks to send them downward.

* * *

"This just in: Saiyawoman has been unmasked! She appears to be... YOUR DAUGHTER, Mr. Satan?!"

Hercule panicked for a split-second, but then calmly turned to Nick.

"Now you see, earlier today, Videl and I met with Saiyaman, who told me Saiyawoman was out sick. So Videl offered to take her place and wear her costume to protect the real Saiyawoman's secret identity."

As per usual, Hercule's skills of persuasion had swayed the human populace.

"Of course. I never would have guessed that was the plan all along. False alarm, folks! It seems Saiyawoman's identity remains a mystery thanks to a clever ploy by Mr. Satan and Videl."

"Phew," went Hercule in his head.

* * *

During this, the swarm of soldiers saw four Kani's, each sporting four arms, rushing them.

"Quick, we've gotta get up there and give her cover!"

Pan and Bulla immediately flew upward and fired on the soldiers, then, as they got closer, began knocking them away. Videl finally joined as well, but they found a line of soldiers in front of them.

"Oh wait..."

Pan pointed the Power Pole directly at them.

"Power Pole Extend!"

It grew in length, striking the soldiers directly in front of her. But even then, several were still to the side of her. Pan readied a swing, but Bulla and Videl both grabbed hold of the Power Pole as well to help her.

"Swing away!"

With the might of all three, the Power Pole swung into the remaining soldiers. Shortly after this, Kani's clones faded back into one as she saw four more soldiers left. As they went in for punches, Kani grabbed them by their heads, one arm each, then slammed them into each other face-first.

As they left her hands back to the ground, Kani's four arms faded as she began descending.

"Kani!"

Bulla and Videl caught hold of her as Pan looked over her.

"Kani, you used too much ki."

"I know... but I couldn't just leave you two on your own."

Even the other three had to admit they were certainly getting a hint of fatigue.

* * *

Chi-Chi and Yajirobe were finally beginning to tire, each still downing whoever crossed them, but showing exhaustion all the same. Launch, meanwhile, kept firing, even as she had nearly emptied all of the capsules in Hercule's truck. She saw another horde incoming and readied her aim with her machine gun...

"No offense..." started Yajirobe... "But you're going to need something with a lot more punch."

Launch scoffed, dropping it, then retrieving a capsule hidden under the driver seat. She clicked it, then tossed it into the air...

 ***POOF!***

It revealed a rocket launcher, whose rocket had a massive explosive attachment on its front. Launch caught it with ease, then took aim.

"Oh yeah?"

She finally fired, the rocket flying at a high speed towards the soldiers heading towards them. While they tried getting out of the way, it seemed to be heat-seeking.

"I'd recommend you find cover."

Yajirobe and Chi-Chi watched as the rocket finally hit its mark, causing a massive explosion. The sheer shockwave caused winds to blow past Chi-Chi and Yajirobe, who felt the full force of it brushing against them. Launch, however, was just sitting completely nonchalant on the ground, the rocket launcher resting in her arms.

"So... that enough punch for you?"

The two were speechless at Launch's demeanor. Just then, a thought occurred to Chi-Chi.

"Wait, have any of you seen where Hercule went off to lately?"

* * *

Hercule was so caught up with talking to the camera that he had nearly forgotten all of the fighting around him.

"Anyway, Nick, I think the Earth's definitely in good hands, guaranteed."

Just then, he saw more Frieza soldiers flying in and remembered what was at stake.

"Listen, there's trouble approaching! You need to get outside the city right this instant!"

"But Mr. Satan, we can't possibly miss..."

"Now that does it!"

He grabbed hold of the camera and Nick's microphone, then tossed them behind him.

"Get out of here now! And I mean NOW!"

Finally taking his warning seriously, Nick and his cameraman ran to their news van, which sped away.

"Wanna go after those Earthlings heading that way?"

"Not unless you want that weakling over there."

"Dynamite... KICK!"

The soldier was kicked in the face, slamming into a wall. However, the kick wasn't an instant knockout as he grasped his face.

"Agh, my nose. I think he broke my nose!"

* * *

"What is going on over there?!" shouted a Frieza Force commander.

"Commander, that Earthling... he's..."

The commander scanned the Earthling with his scouter, finding his power level tiny.

"With that power level? He's making a mockery of the Frieza Force! That does it, men! Swarm him on the double!"

* * *

Hercule hopped high in the air over one before flip-kicking him away, then threw a punch at another soldier, whom successfully blocked it. He then pointed behind him in a "Look, over there" fashion, distracting the soldier just long enough for Hercule to knee him in the groin, then in the face.

"Are you not entertained?! Ha, ha, ha!"

Just then, he saw a massive number of Frieza forces converging all around him, each of them pointing their hands at him, each charging with ki.

"Oh crap..."

He began to kneel on the ground, his hands over the back of his head.

"Oh man..." Hercule mused in his head. "Thank goodness there's no cameras here to see this."

The commander finally landed in front of him, aiming downward directly at him.

"We'll blast you to pieces... in the name of Lord Frieza."

Hercule's eyes shot up.

"L... Lord Frieza?!"

Suddenly, he stood up off the ground, brushing himself off.

"Well why didn't you just say so? I'm a huge fan of his! I've wanted to work for Lord Frieza ever since I was a kid."

The commander was stunned.

"So you mean... you'd willingly join our forces and help in conquering Earth... your home planet?"

"Why of course! Who needs Earth anyways? Tell you what: see those punks over there? I have their trust. I'll go over there and take them out for you."

Despite the decent number of unconscious soldiers lying near Hercule, this commander was still somewhat skeptical.

"By yourself?"

"Hey, less work for you guys, am I right? Well... time for me to spring into action for Lord Frieza!"

He took a step forward, then paused for a moment.

"Oh, almost forgot..."

He turned backward and took something out of his robe.

"I want you to have this."

The commander took it from his hands and looked over this curious item with Game Poy written on it.

"What is this?"

Some of the soldiers got closer to it.

"I think it's one of those data games!"

"You mean those games you play on those small screens?"

"Yeah, I think so."

As the group of Frieza soldiers clamored around the commander in awe of the "Game Poy", Hercule was already ducking behind a nearby building, a remote in hand. But during this commotion, the commander tried pushing his troops back.

"Get off of me... hey, wait! The scouter says it's a..."

But before he could warn them of its true intentions, Hercule pushed the button.

 ***BOOM!***

A sizable explosion that could be heard by the other Z-Fighters went off, taking out all the Frieza soldiers around the Game Poy.

"Heh, heh... I always wanted to use this one."

* * *

"Tien! Chiaotzu! Over here!"

Yamcha was floating high off the air and had called out for them as he was creating a Spirit Ball in his hand, which began to slowly increase in size.

"Listen up. I'm gonna throw this thing as hard as I can, but it's not going to be enough. I need you two to hit it as hard as you can the exact moment I throw it."

Chiaotzu knew his telekinesis would prove beneficial here and Tien knew which attack he was talking about as he formed his hands into a diamond shape. From the ground up, Kani could see what Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and her father were doing.

"Kani?" asked Pan, noting she was looking in the distance.

She flew off towards them, leaving Pan and Bulla behind.

"Alright, almost ready..."

The Spirit Ball was becoming more and more massive, almost looking like a Spirit Bomb from the distance.

"Yamcha, that's enough."

But even then, Yamcha continued floating in place, gritting his teeth as he kept holding and growing the Spirit Ball.

"If I underdo it, I'll barely dent it. I'm giving it everything!"

"You gotta..."

Tien was interrupted when he saw Kani next to her, her hands in the same pose as his.

"Kani..."

"It's a few years of my life or the whole planet!"

The two turned towards Yamcha and saw him reaching his limits. He could barely float at this point and the Spirit Ball was as large as it was going to get. But even then, he finally began to lift his hand for the throw.

"Now!"

Just as the Spirit Ball began to leave his hand, Tien and Kani's hands charged with ki.

"Kikoho!"

The two tri-beams struck the Spirit Ball as Chiaotzu pushed it as hard as he could, so hard he practically threw himself backwards doing so. The combination of Yamcha's throw, Chiaotzu's telekinesis, and the two Tri-Beams striking sent it rocketing towards the ship.

* * *

"What is...? GET BACK!"

The remainder of Frieza's men on board watched in terror as the massive Spirit Ball flew right at the bottom of the ship.

* * *

From outside, the Spirit Ball had managed to pierce through the bottom and the ensuing explosion took place from within it. Within seconds, the ship began falling and crashing into the ground below, crushing a few buildings which, thanks to their efforts before the fight, were empty.

"Yamcha!"

Tien watched as Yamcha began falling down towards the city below and flew after him as quickly as he could. But before he could catch him...

He saw Vegeta catching him, then gently lowering the two towards the ground. Upon landing, Vegeta could see Yamcha was in bad shape: he definitely put his everything into that Spirit Ball, and then some.

"Yajirobe! He needs a senzu bean... now!"

Yajirobe obliged, tossing one to Vegeta, who then fed it to Yamcha.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Kani.

After hearing a clear gulp from Yamcha, they saw him rolling over, coughing.

"Yamcha?"

"So..." said Yamcha, looking up at them with a grin on his face. "How did we do?"

Tien helped him upward, but could tell that despite the senzu bean, Yamcha was going to need a minute.

"Hey, kid..." Yamcha said, looking over at Kani, who could barely stand. "You don't look so good. Hey, can we get another senzu bean over here?"

As Yajirobe obliged once again, Pan and Bulla were sitting on the ground, short of breath.

"You know, Bulla... even though you don't fight much these days, you've still got it."

"Maybe I should start training again. Then maybe I could even face you in the next tournament."

"Now that will be a match for the ages."

Vegeta knelt in front of Bulla, his hands feeling her face to make sure he didn't suffer any bruises or cuts.

"Are you hurt? Did any of them hit you?"

"I'm okay, Dad... thanks to Pan."

He then turned his gaze to Pan, who struggled to make words.

"Well, I mean... it was a team effort after all. Plus, Bulla held her own for sure."

He pat her on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Pan, for protecting my Bulla."

"Dad... you're embarrassing me in front of Pan."

Pan saw Bulla blushing, trying to cover her face, then saw Goten and Gohan in the distance, the former helping her father along.

"Bulla, I'll be just a minute."

"I'll be here, Pan."

Pan walked over to her father and Goten, whose uniforms clearly showed some wear and tear from the battle. Even Gohan's Saiyaman helmet looked beaten up with cracks in the visor and the antennae bent. She saw Goten was trying to gently lower Gohan onto the ground, which Pan assisted with.

"Uncle Goten... Dad... you okay?"

Gohan took off his helmet, revealing only a light bruise on his cheek.

"What's important is that you're okay, Pan."

Videl and Hercule approached right after as the former ran into Gohan's arms, nearly tackling him in the process, while the latter lifted up Pan.

"Gohan! You're okay! We're all okay!"

"Grandpa Hercule!"

"We've done it, Pan! We've saved the world! Everyone did their part! Even yours truly!"

The four of them chuckled, though as much as this seemed like cause for celebration, Goten was sensing the ki of everything inside the ship's remains.

"We've stopped most of their forces and a good chunk inside were taken out with that Spirit Ball... but that high power level's still there."

Pan felt herself being lowered to the ground.

"You mean..." stuttered Hercule.

Just as he had said this, the top of the ship was knocked right off from inside. They saw the remains of Frieza's Force floating out from the opening and immediately got ready to take action.

"I must admit, for such a weak and pathetic race, I expected this invasion to be a cakewalk for my forces..."

Gohan's eyes went wide.

"Dad?"

"And yet here we are with you ruining my ship and reducing their numbers by three-fourths."

Krillin could barely compose himself, even in front of his wife.

"Honey?"

"I trained 18 years for this day and I've waited long enough. It's time for me to take my revenge with my own two hands."

Piccolo knew that voice all too well.

"...Frieza."

The galactic tyrant was alive and well before his very eyes, standing among his soldiers and already in his final form.


	5. Frieza Has Returned! Fate of the Earth!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

The Z-Fighters, both those who had seen Frieza and those who grew up hearing about him, stood in complete awe at him standing atop the remains of his ship, the remaining Frieza Forces floating right behind him. All except one, who fell onto knees.

"I put everything I had into that..." muttered Yamcha. "And it didn't even phase him."

Chi-Chi pulled him back up.

"It's not over yet. We have to be ready."

With her words, Yamcha began to change his attitude.

Pan, Bulla, and Kani had only heard about Frieza in stories, primarily how Goku had gone Super Saiyan for the first time while facing him. How he was thought to be dead after Goku left him to his own devices, only for the tyrant to try blasting him from behind, forcing Goku to fire back on him. And yet here he was, brought to life before them.

None of the three could hide the fear on their faces, especially since none of the grown-ups around them could either. If even Vegeta and Piccolo, both of whom they considered to be absolutely fearless, were struggling not to cower in front of them, then they knew the worst had yet to come.

But even then, Goten approached Vegeta and, while not immune to the shock of seeing one of his father's worst enemies alive and well before them, composed himself just enough to calmly place both hands over Vegeta's shoulders.

"Vegeta... we still have the strongest warrior on the planet, right?"

The former Saiyan prince knew that Goten wasn't trying to appeal to his pride, but rather acknowledging that Vegeta had become far stronger than he was in the past. He turned to Trunks and Gohan.

"You two! On me!"

The four Saiyans met in the middle as Vegeta began laying out a plan.

"Frieza's faced a Super Saiyan before... but he has never faced four at once."

 _"FOUR Super Saiyans? Not just Uncle Goten and my dad?"_

Pan kept it to herself, but she knew her parents would have a lot of explaining to do when this was all over.

* * *

The Frieza Forces were growing impatient as they watched the Z-Fighters huddled together.

"Lord Frieza, shouldn't we strike while they're talking among themselves?"

The tyrant simply watched the humans, Saiyans, and the rest without any care or concern on his face.

"Oh, let them talk. Nothing they could plan can stop me now."

* * *

From what Pan could see, Vegeta was looking like a leader with his posture and tone.

"Listen well: we need to go all out from the very start. Don't hold back anything and go for the kill! We can't afford to let him power up!"

She could tell from Vegeta's choice of words that he had internalized lessons learned from what had happened in the past: his own advice was a rebuke of his own actions against Cell.

"As for the rest of you..."

He turned to everyone else.

"It will be up to you to stop the remainder of his forces. You can't count on us to help you this time: Frieza will need our full attention. So fight like your lives depend on it."

Pan and Bulla nodded back to him as the other Z-Fighters simply readied themselves.

"Gohan, come up with a plan of attack."

He then turned to Trunks.

"Trunks, you've never faced someone like Frieza before, so pay attention."

His son took in every word his father had said thus far.

"You must not refrain. You cannot underestimate him. And you need to protect yourself at all times. We're counting on you, son."

He nodded back, then got himself ready. Vegeta finally turned his attention to Bulla, walking over to her.

"Bulla..."

He hugged her.

"You already know the risks. Should anything happen to me..."

Even then, Bulla didn't care for that last choice of words.

"Don't talk like that, Dad."

Vegeta paused for just a moment afterward, realizing he was giving his daughter his last will.

"Just promise me you'll take care of your mother."

Finally, she took in what he had said.

"I will, Dad. I promise."

Pan was silent throughout the whole thing, not wanting to butt in, but then decided to intrude after his last words.

"Mr. Vegeta..."

He turned to Pan, who once again struggled to find the right words to say to him.

"I... I just wanted to say..."

Not wanting to keep him from what he had to do, she blurted out the first thing she could think of.

"Good luck."

He smirked, then turned in the direction of Frieza's ship. Finally, Gohan approached Vegeta with Goten and Trunks behind him.

"It's time, Vegeta."

"Have you said your good-byes, Gohan?"

He looked over at Pan, who couldn't help but shake the feeling that Bulla's father and her own were acting like this was going to be their last battle.

"Dad... I..."

"It's alright, Pan. Look after your mother and grandmother while we're up there."

She could only nod back to him, still unable to find what to say at this moment. Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, and Goten all turned to the remaining Z-Fighters.

"All of you... fight for our homes so we can go back to them when this is all over."

The four then charged with ki and shouted as golden auras overtook all of them. Goten went Super Saiyan first, followed by her father. Vegeta transformed third, his mustache also taking on a golden hue, and Trunks shortly afterward, a partial glow across his stubble as well. Pan was in awe.

"All four of them... at once..."

Bulla pat Pan on the back.

"You see, Pan? If all of them can do it... so can you."

Pan was starting to feel some of her Super Saiyan anxiety drop. She then pat Bulla on the back as well.

"You too, you know."

The two looked over at a puddle below them, seeing their reflections, as well as part of the four Super Saiyans' glow.

"I always have wondered how I'd look with blonde hair..."

This comment by Bulla brought out a chuckle by Pan.

* * *

Finally, Frieza saw the four Super Saiyans flying in his direction.

"What are our orders, Lord Frieza?"

"Leave those golden-haired monkeys to me."

He then pointed to the rest of the Z-Fighters.

"But do take care of the rest."

"Yes, Lord Frieza!"

The soldiers flew off around the Super Saiyans' direction, whom simply continued their course to the tyrant. He looked closely at all of them as they made their way to him, starting with a familiar face.

 _"Prince Vegeta is a Super Saiyan? Now that is a surprise."_

He looked to the one next to him.

 _"The brat on Namek. Goku's son, wasn't it?"_

Next to Gohan was another familiar face... one that enraged him to no end.

 _"I know that one. I've memorized that face since my death."_

Lastly was a new one... though his hair and face were very reminiscent of someone.

 _"That one... trying to look like Goku..."_

But even then, he took in the calm before the storm even as Goten threw the first punch. He caught it with one hand, then one by Trunks with his other hand.

* * *

"Alright, we're running low on senzu beans, so we'd better watch ourselves out there," stated Yajirobe, who placed his sash back over onto his belt.

The Z-Fighters, whom were reaching their limits earlier, were rejuvenated and ready even as the remains of Frieza's soldiers approached them.

* * *

Chi-Chi, Videl, Pan, and Bulla all ran into one batch, feet swinging as pieces of helmets, scouters, and armor were sent flying around them.

* * *

Tien, Chiaotzu, Kani, and Launch all blasted at their opposition with dodon rays, or a barrage of bullets in Launch's case.

* * *

Androids 17 and 18, Piccolo, and Yajirobe decimated anyone that crossed them, whether with ki, fists, feet, or Yajirobe's blade.

"So your whole deal is beans and a sword?" inquired 17 as he blasted away one goon.

"Oh I'm sorry," replied Yajirobe, stabbing his sword through another, then pushing forward to also pin another soldier behind that one. "And what exactly have you done since the Cell Games?"

"Focus on the fight, you two!" shouted Piccolo, firing a burst from his hands right into the face of a soldier.

"Thank you," said 18, casually punching a soldier with her back turned.

* * *

Master Roshi, Yamcha, Krillin, and Hercule punched their way through the waves before them.

"You know..." Hercule began, putting a Frieza soldier in a choke hold. "I always wondered whatever happened to that Jackie Chun guy."

"Actually, now that I think about it..." Yamcha added, chopping a soldier so hard his helmet and armor were split in two. "Roshi, you almost have the same beard as him."

"I mean, kind of..." went Krillin after kicking one into a group, knocking them away like bowling pins. "But Roshi doesn't have his head of hair."

"The truth is..." started Roshi, throwing his cane in a circle around him, knocking down all the soldiers surrounding him before catching it without looking. "I was Jackie Chun."

Both of Roshi's students' jaws dropped.

"Wait... you mean that... I was right all this time?!"

"You beat me and Yamcha in the 21st tournament... and we didn't even have a clue."

Hercule, however, was satisfied with having his inquiry answered, as well as the fact that he had choked the Frieza soldier in his arms unconscious.

"Huh. Well how about that..."

* * *

Meanwhile, all four Super Saiyans were attacking Frieza with their full power, making sure not to allow the tyrant any room to slip through. Sure enough, the tyrant realized he could overpower them individually, but as a unit, they were closely matched.

"Don't think just because you've survived this long that this makes you four equal to me."

Frieza went for a death beam aimed at Gohan, one which Vegeta knocked away with his hand.

"Now, Gohan! Do it!"

With a thunderous shout, an even greater golden aura shined across Gohan's body.

"What?!"

Frieza's shock at another level of Super Saiyan was interrupted by a punch from Gohan, followed by a barrage of strikes.

* * *

Pan and everyone else around her looked out for just a moment, seeing her dad glowing with an even more golden hue as he and the others began landing blows on the alien tyrant.

* * *

With a colossal two-handed swing, Frieza was knocked down onto the top of his ship, bleeding from his lip as he saw the four Super Saiyans floating at his level, readying their trademark beams.

"Ka...me...ha... me..." went Gohan and Goten.

"Galick Gun..." followed Vegeta and Trunks.

Frieza didn't even look over at the impending attacks and closed his eyes.

"Haaaa!"

"Fire!"

The four beams moved rapidly towards Frieza, then collided with each other. Soon afterward, a massive explosion of ki was unleashed, pushing back the four Super Saiyans.

* * *

The Frieza Force stopped for just a moment as they heard this behind them, then saw their ship practically scrap metal at this point... and no sign of...

"Lord Frieza!" cried out one of the soldiers.

Just then, Hercule kicked him in the shin, causing that soldier to fall onto the ground, grabbing onto it while writhing in pain.

"Ha, ha! Don't mess with Earth!"

* * *

The Four Super Saiyans looked over at the wreckage from their combination attack. The ship was completely destroyed... but did it really vaporize Frieza?

"We did it, Dad! We've...!"

"This isn't over, Trunks." started Vegeta. "Not by a long shot! Don't you dare lower your guard now!"

After Vegeta's warning, they turned their heads quickly, trying to find out where Frieza had gone.

"I can't read him," started Goten. "Is he on top of us or below us?"

"Alright, let's split up and find him. Goten, you and I will..."

But just as Gohan was starting to formulate a plan, he saw something golden floating right behind his younger brother. Before he could even form words of any kind, Goten felt two hands grabbing onto the top of his head and his chin.

"G...!"

Even in his Super Saiyan form, the grip couldn't be broken: like the hands were glued to him... no, piercing into his very skull.

"O...!"

 ****CRACK!****

Goten's neck was broken. The life left his eyes and his hair reverted back to its original form. Frieza, his entire body in a golden hue, grinned at the other three Super Saiyans as he held this fallen Saiyan.

"TEEEEEN!"

Frieza noted that Goten's hairstyle looked like that of Goku's.

"So... he had another son, did he?"

Gohan charged with ki, his teeth grinding.

"You... you killed my brother!"

Trunks too was infuriated.

"He was my best friend... you monster!"

Frieza then looked over at Vegeta.

"Nothing to say, Prince Vegeta?"

Vegeta could see that Gohan and Trunks were losing it and as infuriated as Vegeta was, he knew they had to control their emotions.

"Control yourselves! Now!"

He then fired a barrage of ki blasts at Frieza, whom didn't even move. Instead, Frieza used Goten's body as a shield.

"Father, stop!"

"He's already dead, Trunks! Whatever it takes to stop him!"

Frieza finally threw Goten's body toward Trunks, who couldn't help but try to catch him.

"Trunks, no!"

But even as Vegeta cried out for his son not to try it, Trunks felt a massive hole in his chest: Frieza had pierced through him and Gohan's body with a much larger beam.

"TRUNKS!"

* * *

From below, the Z-Fighters watched as Goten and Trunks fell to the ground below with their hair reverted back to normal. Chi-Chi, Pan, and Bulla ran over to them immediately. When they finally reached them, Chi-Chi shook Goten's body for any signs of life.

"My boy... my baby boy...no..."

Her youngest son was dead in her arms. The boy who lived his life trying to become like his father... like Goku.

"Uncle... Goten..."

Pan was trying to keep it together in the face of everything around her, though tears were still slipping past her face. But then she saw her best friend kneeling over Trunks' body, seeing the gaping hole in him firsthand, yet still trying to bring him back.

"Trunks! No! You can't be gone! Come on! Stay with us, Trunks!"

Pan put her hand over Bulla's shoulder and shook her head, telling Bulla that there was nothing more they could do.

* * *

"Vegeta..." Gohan started, seeing Vegeta starting to charge violently with ki. "We have to focus! We'll work together and we'll..."

He couldn't listen to Gohan even if he tried: he had to suffer the fate of watching his son die twice in the same way, and both with him being helpless to do anything to stop it. He screamed in a blind rage, flying right at Frieza, who didn't look the least bit concerned.

"Oh ho... you had a child?"

He effortlessly dodged Vegeta's onslaught while further taunting him.

* * *

"And with an Earthling no less?"

Pan and Bulla could hear Frieza's voice even from down there.

"And to think had your succeeded in killing Goku, you would have conquered the Earthlings, if not destroyed the planet."

Pan and Bulla were stunned at the accusations Frieza was making. Kani heard it as well and turned to her father.

"Dad, what is he talking about?"

"Tell me, Prince Vegeta: after all the people you've killed, all the innocents you slaughtered... do you really think starting a family resolves you of your past?"

Bulla was shaken by Frieza's words about her father. While part of her figured Frieza was lying and trying to get to everyone, she also couldn't shake the feeling that she really didn't hear much about her father's past aside from his rivalry with Goku.

Pan as well. All her life, Vegeta was reserved and kept to himself. He had told her that his pride had led him down a destructive path and now Pan had to wonder if that path really led him to do what Frieza was stating he had done.

* * *

"Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUP!"

Vegeta kept trying to move faster or hit harder to get Frieza, yet nothing had worked.

Gohan flew in from the other side to strike Frieza from behind.

"Oh, one moment..."

Gohan saw his two-handed strike stopped by only Frieza's hand, a finger of which then pointed right at him. Another death beam fired, one Gohan desperately tried to fly over, but which still struck him in the stomach.

"Now then..."

With a swing of his tail, Gohan's stomach was struck, sending him rocketing to the ground below and leaving a crater.

"Where were we?"

* * *

Pan saw her father crashing to the ground.

"Bulla! Get back to the group! Now!"

She ran to Gohan, then signalled her grandmother to come to her.

"Gohan?"

He coughed up some blood and a tear in his top revealed that the swing from Frieza left him with severe bruising.

"Can't feel... legs."

"Dad!"

Pan turned back to the group from afar, seeing Yajirobe kneeling with his sword flat on the ground from all the fighting.

"Senzu bean, quick!"

He reached into his bag and threw it as hard as he could even as he saw another Frieza soldier coming near him. Chi-Chi caught it, then handed it to Pan, who fed it to Gohan.

After eating it, Gohan got back onto his feet.

"Dad, what do we do now?"

Gohan looked over at Frieza, then at the fighting going on from the ground.

"We have to survive, Pan. That's all we can do right now."

* * *

"Maybe it's my golden form and not you, but I am disappointed, Vegeta. You've gotten soft."

Even with his rage, Vegeta was starting to tire.

"You were better off as you were: prideful, merciless, and cruel. What are you now?"

Vegeta got his hands together to fire off something, but Frieza grabbed them and pulled them to the side, dissipating the attack. The Saiyan prince felt helpless in his grip, like he was being held by a god.

"Now then... where is Goku?"

"Kakarot's dead, Frieza."

At first, Frieza looked disappointed.

"I came all this way just so he could see his home and people suffer with his very eyes... and now..."

But then he grinned.

"Oh, of course. He can still see it all in the afterlife, completely powerless to do anything about it."

He released Vegeta's arms, then placed his hand over his chest.

"And you can experience it first-hand."

* * *

A purple explosion of ki went off as Vegeta hit the ground, most of his armor destroyed and his chest almost completely bare with bruising.

Bulla ran over to her father.

"My Bulla..."

"Dad... everything he said... is it...?"

"It's true."

He slowly got off his back.

"Everything he said... is true."

Bulla didn't know what to think: she loved her father, but it was still so much to take in.

"But you can be a better person than I was."

Yajirobe walked over to Vegeta, offering him a sensu bean.

"No... save it for someone who desperately needs it."

"But you survived a hit from him."

"Because he WANTED me to! He's toying with me! With us! Which is why I suspect he hasn't attacked you all yet."

* * *

Frieza floated off the ground, watching the remaining Earthlings, Saiyans and the rest trying to recuperate from their two losses and from Gohan and Vegeta's injuries.

"It's all so easy... I really overtrained for this."

Just then, he saw someone running on the ground in his direction.

* * *

Tien turned and saw Launch running towards Frieza with a rocket launcher in hand, one with a massive payload on the tip of it. She ran so frantically that she tripped on a large piece of debris and fell.

"Launch!"

Kani saw this as well.

"Mom!"

Launch began getting back to her feet, but she also took in some dust from the nearby debris. She tried to hold it in, but sneezed.

* ***POOF!****

Her hair had turned blue and hey eyes green again as her husband and daughter came to her aid.

"What are you doing? We're outmatched here! We have to come up with a plan!"

Launch lifted the rocket launcher back into her arms.

"This is the only plan we have."

She saw Tien and Kani trying to hold her back, to pull her back to safety.

"Mom, you can't..."

"They need your help. Now go... please."

They loosened their grip just enough that Launch could continue where she left off. The two turned around and saw that, sure enough as Launch had said, the group needed their help.

* * *

"If it isn't Prince Vegeta?"

A group of Frieza soldiers pointed their hands at him, as he was still no position to fight right this moment.

"We'll send you to..."

This soldier was struck by Bulla, several of his teeth flying.

"Get away from my father!"

The others aimed at her.

"Power Pole Extend!"

Bulla ducked as a swing from the Power Pole knocked the others onto the ground, where Videl and Chi-Chi could get hits in on them. Pan realized there were more approaching her from behind.

"Pan, look ou...!"

As she saw the men about to fire, Tien and Kani flew into them, knocking them away from her.

* * *

Launch was in her more kind-hearted personality and she couldn't count on finding anything she could use to get her to sneeze again. Even then, she didn't want to waste time as Frieza remained still in midair.

"Only have one shot at this..."

In the past, she had been clumsy with a rocket launcher when up against Demon King Piccolo. But now, she had a family at stake. She looked through the scope, ensuring the aim was true: this rocket wasn't heat-seaking like the other.

As she pulled the trigger, the sheer force of it pushed her back, but the rocket headed right for Frieza as she had hoped.

* * *

"What's this?"

Frieza turned his attention away from the Z-Fighters and saw the rocket heading right for him. It was going at a very high speed...

...for a human. For Frieza, he could gracefully move to the side of it, then grab hold of it in his hands. He held the rocket in his hands, looking over it while it still launched fire from behind it. He chuckled, seeing it as nothing to him.

"Primitive creatures..."

He looked down at the woman who had fired it at her, who was in shock that he was holding it like a toy.

* * *

The other Z-Fighters saw this as well. Tien and Kani both looked over at Launch in utter terror. Frieza had just turned the rocket in the other direction towards her. By the time he'd let it go, they didn't know if they could reach Launch in time at that distance.

"No..."

Frieza released the rocket, which zoomed towards Launch, who didn't even look at it. Instead, she turned towards her husband and daughter, her hand signalling them not to come closer to her. She said something, but neither could hear it in the moment.

"I love you both."

 ****BOOM!****

The blast was huge. Even larger than the one from before. Tien and Kani were both pushed off their feet and even some of the Z-Fighters could feel a harsh wind pushing them back.

When the dust settled... there was nothing left of Launch. Not even anything to bury.

Kani fell to her knees, sobbing at what became of her mother. Tien, however, squeezed his fingers in a fist so tight they were cutting into his palms, which bled.

"You..."

He zoomed out into the sky on his own over Frieza.

"You killed her!"

Frieza scoffed at this.

"Oh please. She killed herself."

Grinding his teeth, nearly to the point of cracking, he put his hands in a diamond shape.

"Oh, and what is that supposed to be?"

"KI...KO...HO!"

A yellow beam fired from his palms, knocking Frieza downward. Tien flew after him unrelentingly, firing it once more.

"KIKO...HO!"

This sent Frieza to the ground, where he stood on his feet as Tien flew in for the next one.

"KI...KOHO!"

Now Frieza had been pushed underground, unable to be seen by the others as Tien's skin showed his veins pulsing.

* * *

Kani could see all this happening and tried flying over to her father.

"Dad, no!"

She saw her path blocked by Frieza soldiers.

* * *

"KI...KO...HO! KI...KO...HO! KI...KO...HO!"

Countless more times, Tien fired the Tri-Beam, not even caring about his own life energy at this point. He was truly in a rage that could nearly challenge that of a Super Saiyan's.

"Kiko... Kiko..."

But his arms finally fell to his sides and he couldn't bring himself to float any further. He fell towards the massive hole he had left in the ground. As his vision began to blur, all he could see was the darkness of that hole... and a golden flash heading right for him.

* * *

Kani and the other Z-Fighters could hear a scream of pain coming from Tien, then saw Frieza holding him by the head... with his pinky and thumb. They couldn't even see Frieza's other three fingers, but they could guess what Frieza had plunged them into.

"Well, at least he dug up his own grave first."

He tossed Tien down, his three fingers slick with his blood, as Kani could only see her father's pierced eyes and lifeless face.

Yamcha grabbed onto her, trying to keep her in place.

"Kani, listen, please! We have to regroup! We can't...!"

During this, Kani had created another clone of herself, one of which punched Yamcha in the gut, forcing him to let her go. She then flew after Frieza.

"Kani!"

Frieza could see this woman, having split herself into four and each sporting four arms with her lefts and rights preparing the same technique her father had used.

"This again?"

"Kikoho!"

He was definitely pushed forward and backward by this close-range quadruple Tri-Beam, but it still wasn't appearing to damage him.

"Please... try again."

Kani had already transitioned to a sixteen-armed assault, all of the strikes which Frieza blocked with ease. As she continued on, something painful struck her: Frieza had broken one of her clone's arms with a casual chop.

With that clone preoccupied with its injury, he immediately struck the other three to his sides and behind him with his hands and tail. All three were pierced in the chest, left to fall to the ground until they reemerged back into Kani.

"Oh dear."

Kani still floated, but felt an immense pain in her chest: she wasn't cut like her clones had been, but the pain was still there. In that moment of taking in her injury, Frieza pointed a finger right at her forehead.

* * *

Yamcha watched in horror and agony as Kani, the daughter of one of his best friends, who was the closest thing he had to a child of his own, fell lifelessly into the same hole as Tien.

"That is it! I'm...!"

Gohan grabbed him by the hand, his grip clearly stronger than anything Yamcha could muster in his anger.

"No! We're not fighting him one-on-one anymore!"

The other Z-Fighters stood behind them, each terrified at what they had seen and the loss they had experienced thus far, but also hardened from the ongoing battle.

"We fight together! As one!"

Even with five of them having fallen and even with Frieza's new unimaginable power, they wouldn't stop fighting.

"This is our home," said Vegeta.

Yamcha finally gained control over himself, to which Gohan let him go. From there, they flew upward, with Yajirobe hitching a ride with Gohan and Chi-Chi with Videl.

* * *

"All you've done is accelerate the inevitable."

Yajirobe lunged at Frieza, his sword drawn, when he saw it clang against Frieza's head, almost like he was made of metal. As his sword left his hands, Frieza grabbed onto him, caught his sword, then threw him high into the air with the sword in pursuit.

As Yajirobe fell, his sword's handle piercing through his chest, Krillin threw a destructo-disk, which Frieza practically caught in his hand. He tossed it downward at a far higher speed, tearing through Piccolo before he could react.

"PICCOLO!"

Krillin could barely move after seeing one of his allies cut in half by his own move.

"Krillin, move!"

He did as Androids 17 and 18 flew right at Frieza for a combination attack. As the two went for their blow, Frieza simply pierced through both with his hands, then both could only see a faint glow of ki within their bodies.

"NOOO!"

Krillin saw both his wife and her twin brother explode before him, then saw himself being lifted up further into the air against his will.

"I don't think I've ever killed someone twice in the same way."

Krillin didn't even have to guess what his fate would be, closing his eyes before he was detonated.

Chiaotzu grabbed onto Frieza, charging with a white aura.

"This is for you, Tien..."

Yamcha threw a massive Spirit Ball at Frieza to get his attention, but it was knocked away with one hand as Frieza then stabbed through Chiaotzu with his tail.

"Chiaotzu!"

Frieza turned his head towards Chiaotzu, who was still intend on self-destructing to bring him down.

"You really shouldn't throw your life away without a friend."

He looked downward at the assembling warriors and saw Pan and Bulla flying in close proximity of each other.

"Or why not two?!"

Chiaotzu was launched at the two, unable to control his self-destruct at this point: he had become a time bomb.

Pan and Bulla were shaken by everything they had seen thus far, and now the deaths were rapidly increasing.

Yamcha saw Chiaotzu flying in their direction and, knowing the risk, flew into them.

"Look out!"

He shoved Pan and Bulla far to the side, then was struck by the flying Chiaotzu, the impact of which left a large explosion.

"YAMCHA!"

Master Roshi fired off beams of lightning from his hands at Frieza, creating an electrical field. Frieza appeared panicked, as if unable to move.

"Gohan! Vegeta! NOW!"

Both Super Saiyans began charging their trademark beams. Even still, Frieza couldn't do anything about it.

"Hah!"

Roshi saw Frieza break through the field with ease and just as Roshi's Kamehameha left his hands towards him, Frieza flew through it, then stabbed through his neck.

He tossed the body at Vegeta, whose Galick Gun was interrupted, as Gohan's Kamehameha fired all the same. Frieza only pointed a single hand at him.

"YOU FOOL!"

A massive purple beam fired from his hands, easily enveloping the Kamehameha as Gohan saw that he was too late to escape. The beam had trapped him as he saw the fabric of his outfit tearing away before his eyes. He then flew backward helplessly, feeling himself being torn apart by the beam.

"Before I kill you, Vegeta, which one down there is your child?"

He pointed at Pan from below.

"This one?"

He then turned to Bulla.

"Or this one?"

Frieza could tell by Vegeta's expression that he had found her.

"Don't you dare... YOU WON'T HURT MY BULLA!"

Frieza saw Vegeta charging with even more ki, something going on behind him.

"Now what could this be?"

He watched in intrigue as Vegeta's hair grew massive, flowing behind his back.

"Ah, another Super Saiyan form, is it?"

Vegeta punched Frieza in the face, which, this time, actually caused him to flinch with some discomfort. By the time Vegeta threw another punch, Frieza caught it while his other hand wiped a drop of blood from his lip.

As he tried to free himself of Frieza's grip, he soon realized Frieza had wrapped his tail around his neck, choking him. He turned Vegeta around, then punched him in the back.

"Don't worry: your Bulla will join you soon."

Just then, Vegeta felt Frieza's fist piercing through his back and into his chest, as if Frieza had his hand on Vegeta's heart.

Then a squeeze.

* * *

In the span of just a few moments, Pan and Bulla saw ten of their loved ones, including their own fathers, slain.

"Pan! Bulla!"

Chi-Chi, Videl, and Hercule all ran to the two of them, elated that Pan and Bulla were still with them, but still processing the grief of losing the others. Pan and Bulla couldn't even look at them.

"What can we even do now?"

The three adults didn't know how to answer. They all knew that if the four Super Saiyans, the strongest warriors on the planet, couldn't defeat Frieza, that they didn't have a chance either.

Just then, they heard something.

"H...hello?"

A cough.

"Is anyone there?"

Much more coughing now.

The five of them approached a crumbling building, then saw a body sitting up with his back against it in an orange turtle gi.

"Yamcha!"

But as much as they were relieved he was still alive, it was broken by the fact that his orange gi was stained with his blood and drips of blood fell from his mouth.

"You're all... still here. I'm... glad."

From nearby, they saw Yajirobe's body, still impaled by his own sword... and with the bag of sensu beans still attached to it.

"Yamcha, you're going to be okay!"

Pan rushed over and grabbed the bag, then hurried to open it as Yamcha coughed up more blood.

"Just hold on a little longer..."

As Pan finally opened it, about to reach her hand into the bag.

 ****ZAP!****

The bag erupted into flames before her very eyes: a blast had struck it. The sensu beans were reduced to little more than ashes, even as Pan desperately tried to pull one out.

"Earthlings..."

She felt herself being lifted off the ground by Frieza's tail.

"PAN!" screamed Bulla.

"Your champions have fallen. This planet belongs to me and your race will serve me now."

He could see Videl and Chi-Chi poised to strike, so he pointed one finger at Pan's head.

"Ah, ah, ah. Try anything and I'll kill this brat. Now get on your knees. All of you."

The four of them did as Frieza asked.

"Good. Men?"

They couldn't believe their eyes: dozens, maybe fifty soldiers remained.

"Round up these humans. Walk them over there and wait for my next set of instructions."

Frieza threw Pan to the ground, gasping for air, as the four tried helping her up.

"What about this one, sir?"

One of the soldiers pointed to Yamcha, who could barely lift up his right arm with his left.

"He's done for. Leave him."

Pan and the other four got onto their feet and walked forward, a row of Frieza soldiers aiming their hands at them the entire time. During this, Frieza walked over to Yamcha.

"I'm rather surprised you are still breathing... but how does it feel to be the last of your friends?"

Yamcha was looking away from him.

"Look at me!"

He then realized Yamcha was looking at the five being escorted by Frieza's men.

* * *

Pan fell onto her stomach.

"You! Runt! Get back up!"

Bulla stood in front of Pan.

"Have a heart! She's in bad shape!"

The goons pushed her to the side, then lifted Pan upward.

"I mean just look at her!"

They did, seeing her with her eyes closed. But then she placed her hands to her face and opened her eyes wide open.

"Solar FLARE!"

The soldiers around them were blinded, allowing Pan to break free from the one holding her.

"NOW!"

The five of them ran, even as the soldiers unaffected fired at them.

* * *

Frieza then looked back at Yamcha's arms: he grasped his right with his left while pointing his two fingers downward. Frieza realized what technique he was using.

"Y'know... I forgot all about that Spirit Ball."

The Frieza soldiers saw a massive shadow coming their way, then saw the massive Spirit Ball from before rocketing towards them and exploding.

Before Frieza could kill this insufferable human, he saw Yamcha drawing his last breath, his head lying against the crumbling building. He then zoomed past the few of his men that survived.

* * *

The five of them hurried on foot, panting heavily and trying to come up with a plan.

"Yamcha... he gave his life for us..." Pan mused.

"There's time to mourn later, young lady", said Chi-Chi. "We have to find Fortuneteller Baba."

Both Pan and Bulla have never heard of this person before.

"Who is Fortuneteller Baba?" asked Bulla.

"She's Roshi's older sister. And she's the only hope we have now."

"What can she do?"

"She can summon someone who can help us..."

"Who?"

"..."

Frieza stood in front of them, catching Chi-Chi with his hand, which stabbed into her stomach.

"You Earthlings do know how to toy with my men... but my patience with you has run dry."

Chi-Chi punched at Frieza's face as Hercule grabbed onto Frieza's tail. Videl ran to sweep at his leg.

"Both of you..." shouted Chi-Chi to Pan and Bulla, who were frozen in place. "Get out of here!"

Could Pan do it? Could Pan really abandon the rest of her family here and now?

Frieza swung his tail, throwing Hercule a far distance, then grabbed hold of Videl by her hair. He slammed her and Chi-Chi into each other head-to-head. The two lied on the ground, trails of blood running from their foreheads while barely able to breath.

"Oh please, do run along. I won't even take a minute to catch up with you two."

Pan and Bulla's fists dug into their palms as the two flew at him.

"Good."

He swerved in midair, slamming both of them into the ground with just his tail.

"You've saved us all time."

As Frieza approached the two, who were slow to get up, he felt something pulling on his leg: Chi-Chi.

"Leave them alone, you... you..."

He looked Chi-Chi in the eyes, then realized something.

"Your eyes... like Goku's child..."

He then turned back to Pan.

"And hers... oh, ho, ho. Goku has a granddaughter."

He then turned his attention to both of them.

"And here I am with both Goku and Vegeta's offspring."

Videl kicked Frieza from behind, then ran in to punch him in the jaw.

"Amusing..."

He booted Chi-Chi back, then lifted Videl into the air with both arms.

"...but fragile."

He slammed Videl onto his knee.

 ****CRACK!****

Pan couldn't even tell if her mother was barely alive or lifelessly dead.

"Mom..."

"I'm sorry... was that your mommy?"

He let her roll onto the ground, then continued walking towards them.

"Oh come now. Don't cry..."

"PAN, BEHI...!"

A ki blast struck Bulla's side, then, as Pan turned around, struck her chest. The two lied on the ground, seeing ten Frieza soldiers behind them.

"Made it as soon as we could, Lord Frieza."

"Well done, but lose sight of them again and I'll kill you all myself."

Both Pan and Bulla were lifted up by two soldiers, struggling to escape.

"Hey!"

This soldier punched Pan in the stomach, followed by Bulla.

"Any more trouble out of you two and..."

A bullet shot right through the soldier's head. Frieza turned around to see who it was, then felt someone wrapping one wrist around his neck, hanging off of him. Hercule then pointed a handgun right at Frieza's head.

"You killed my friends...!"

He fired a point-blank shot at Frieza.

"And my daughter...!"

Another shot.

"But I won't... let you... hurt my granddaughter!"

He fired it as rapidly as he could

During this confusion, Bulla was summoning all her ki.

"Pan, brace yourself!"

With an explosion of white ki, the Frieza soldiers holding her and Pan were knocked back, though Pan herself was as well.

"Just hold on!"

Bulla then saw two others already aiming their hands at her. At this point, she didn't have much ki left.

Pan tried getting back up, but then three soldiers jumped onto her, pinning her to the ground.

"We've got her!"

Bulla turned for a moment to see, then was blasted several times in the back.

"NO!"

Bulla fell onto the ground, still alive, but severely wounded.

 ****CLICK, CLICK, CLICK****

Hercule's handgun was out of ammo.

"I've humored you long enough..."

He grabbed Hercule by the throat with one hand, then walked over towards Bulla.

"We got them, Lord Frieza! They tried getting away, but we got them!"

"Hmm, and it only cut your forces in half. No matter."

He pointed at Pan.

"Keep that one pinned down."

Hercule was struggling to grasp for air, his hands unable to break Frieza's grip on him.

"As for you, Bulla, daughter of the Saiyan Prince..."

He tipped her onto her back with his foot, looking her in the eyes. Bulla had various spots of blood on her chest as a result of the blasts.

"What say you to joining me?"

More angry than terrified, Bulla spat blood at Frieza's face. He simply wiped it off of him.

"As I expected."

He pointed his finger at Bulla, then fired a death beam right at her heart.

"BULLA!"

She fell down to the ground flat.

"All you had to do was not resist me. The blood is on your hands as well as mine."

Pan then looked over at Hercule, his face turning a pale pinkish hue.

"P... Pa...an..."

His arms finally fell to his side, his eyes lifeless and his mouth open from what he was trying to say last. Frieza let Hercule's body fall in front of her, his eyes almost still looking at hers.

"And now there's only you... the granddaughter of Goku."

Pan looked over at Hercule's face, then at Bulla's.

"Serve me now and I shall let you live. As you've seen already, resisting me will gain you nothing."

She kept alternating between the two faces, seeing flashes of their deaths as tears ran down her face.

"Don't weep for them. They're in a better place now. Except for Vegeta, of course. He's in Hell."

Her teeth gritted. Her fists dug into the ground. Small pieces of debris floated above her.

"Uh... Lord Frieza..."

"And now I... what is it?"

* * *

From a far distance, a giant golden glow flew across the remains of Satan City followed by a deafening scream of rage.

* * *

Pan floated off the ground, knocking the three soldiers holding her down backward.

"Quick, stop her!"

The other two fired blasts at her, only to see her ki was stopping them from even touching her.

"Do something, Lord Frieza!"

"No... I want to see this."

Debris rained down as Pan finally landed to the ground on her feet, her hair now a golden hue and her eyes pure white. She looked over at the soldiers standing before her.

"Lord Frieza..."

"Okay, fine. You may attack."

The five aimed their hands at her, but as soon as they fired, Pan was out of their sight.

"Where did she...?!"

One soldier saw Pan punching right through his torso.

"No, no, no...!"

Another tried to fire, but his arm was struck by Pan's, tearing it off.

"There's strength in numb...!"

This soldier was struck by a swinging kick of such force that the soldier's upper body was torn from his lower.

"Lord Frieza, help us! Please!"

The tyrant instead chuckled, loving the rampage he was seeing before him.

"Fire, fire, fire!"

Two stood close by firing blasts at Pan, who moved side-by-side to avoid them with little effort until she grabbed both by their armor. She then flew up into the air, then back to the ground, crashing both into it head-first. As one managed to try crawling away, she punched it in the back of the head repeatedly, her hand slick with that alien's blood.

After seeing their battered remains, she saw one Frieza soldier, who was missing an arm, trying to back away from her.

"No... no, no, please... have mercy... I was only following..."

She grabbed him by the throat, then squeezed so hard his neck was practically jelly.

"Bravo."

She then turned to Frieza, who gave off a single clap for her. Pan, however, was too enraged to even speak.

"As a reward..."

He put both his hands behind his back.

"I'll let you attempt to have your revenge. Go on. Give it a try."

She flew right at him for a punch, but he side-stepped it.

"So close."

She turned around with a flurry of punches. When that failed, a ki projectile launched at Frieza, who hopped over it as it went on to hit and collapse a building. Afterward, he floated in midair, waiting for her.

"Oh, don't give up now."

She zoomed to him, but her punch missed once more. He kept moving and Pan always punched where Frieza had been.

"All you have to do is hit me."

A rapid flurry of ki projectiles, all of which Frieza weaved through.

"Are you even trying?"

Finally, he stopped moving.

"How about this: I won't even move from this spot or try to avoid you."

He pointed his finger to her, then toward himself.

"Well?"

Pan struck him in the face head-on, but to no effect on him.

"Oh no, please. Keep going."

She struck his face again, then his chest, his stomach.

"I almost felt it."

She struck at the three spots rapidly and in spite of all the power she had unleashed on the soldiers earlier, they could hardly even affect Frieza at all. He knew at this point that a Super Saiyan wasn't a match for him anymore.

"Alright, I've had my fun."

He fired a death beam at her elbows, then her shoulders, then her knees, then her stomach. Pan could only cry out as she crashed to the ground. By that point, she was just an immobile Super Saiyan.

"After all this time... I don't think I want this planet anymore. If it was this easy for me to take, then there'd frankly be no value to selling it."

He walked over to Pan, who lied on her side.

"Oh, but don't worry."

He began forming a ball with his finger.

"I'll let you see the fireworks."

He floated upward into the air, the ball growing more massive in size in little time.

Even in her rage, Pan knew she was in grave danger and that the death ball could only mean her demise. She couldn't move...

...but she could still use her ki. She formed a field of ki around her body, almost like a second skin covering her. But as a Super Saiyan, the field was larger and with far more ki around her.

"I hope you're watching this, Goku. You've just lost your entire family... and your planet."

He tossed the death ball towards the ground, tearing through like a hot orb through butter.

* * *

Bulma could see the Capsule Corp headquarters coming up right in front of them.

"Don't worry, everyone. We're almost there."

Just then, she saw massive cracks in the ground... and fire. They began to spread and grow larger. So large a hole swallowed up the whole building.

"Oh no..."

* * *

Puar and Oolong were at the Kame House, watching television for the latest on the battle in Satan City.

"I hope Yamcha's okay."

"This just in: forming right as well speak, rivers of lava are spreading all across the globe."

Oolong looked out the window, seeing the ocean overcome by it.

"Hold your families close, everyone! Mr. Satan, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

* * *

Pan's ki was working. Nothing was getting through. She saw Satan City, where she had grown up, tearing itself apart and melting away.

* * *

Chi-Chi, high enough that the lava couldn't reach her, was still conscious, seeing everything around her. She had no idea if Pan was even alive. But she knew that her time was short.

"Goku... I'm sorry..."

As she closed her eyes...

* * *

Earth was being consumed by orange, as well as cracking at the seems. And finally...

 ****BOOM!****

It was no more. All that remained were small specks. Frieza reveled in his victory, laughing maniacally as he flew through the cosmos. His revenge was complete.

* * *

Pan opened her eyes after the large flash and saw... space.

 _"I'm..."_

She realized she wasn't a Super Saiyan anymore, and that her ki was completely drained. She had no means with which to defend herself from the coldness and vacuum of space.

 _"Can't... breathe..."_

She would've tried to warm herself with her arms, but she still couldn't move.

 _"Can't... move... cold... so cold..."_

Pan wasn't long for this world now: be it from suffocation or freezing to death, she knew she'd be with her loved ones soon. She couldn't bring herself to close her eyes and instead watched as her vision became more and more blurry.

 _"I'll... see you... everyone..."_

Her vision became pure white. What she saw was indescribable. Like she was traveling to another dimension. And a voice...

"Someone... from... far away... Warrior! Now...!"

Was this what happens when one dies?

* * *

But as she kept watching, her vision began to return to her. She could see that she was floating downward, but the area around her was pitch-black... all except for walls and grass. Was this... Otherworld?

"You're surprised, I'm..."

Another voice.

"Oh no..."

Pan felt the ground beneath her and fell to her knees and nearly on her stomach. But something caught her.

"Quick, someone get help! Now!"

She saw someone looking right at her.

"Just hang in there, okay?"

Pan could finally make out his face: a familiar face with purple hair.

"Tr...Trunks?"

After this, she lost consciousness. Trunks kept holding onto her, knowing she was freezing.

"Trunks, what is going on?!"

"Supreme Kai of Time, I... I..."

He couldn't shake something about her.

"What is it? Why are you looking at her like that?"

"She knew... she knew my name."


	6. Pan's Recovery! What Is This Place?

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan could barely make out where she was now. It looked like she was in a pod of sorts, filled with water or some kind of blue-green liquid. But even then, Pan could breathe just fine. She then felt something covering her nose and mouth: a mask of sorts.

Outside the pod, she only saw blurry figures: one short wearing purple with pink skin and another much taller in dark grey with light purple hair.

From what she could make out, it looked like the two were conversing with each other. She tried as best as she could to listen in.

"...were you thinking...?"

"...we're spread thin..."

"...used the Dragon Balls..."

"...didn't think it'd be like..."

"...lucky to be alive..."

"...knew my name..."

But as she tried to hear the conversation, she saw her eyelids closing: she was losing consciousness once again.

* * *

When she awoke this time, Pan found herself lying in a bed in a small white room. Upon taking off the covers, she saw she was wearing white pajamas, but with "TP" written on her top.

 _"TP? I don't remember any clothing brands called TP."_

She pat her chest and stomach to see if she still had the wounds from before, but felt nothing out of the ordinary. She lifted up her top's sleeve to feel her elbow and no wound there either.

 _"They're all... healed?"_

To her right, she saw a small nightstand with a lamp. The clothes she was wearing that day were all neatly folded and appeared to have been washed and even repaired.

To her left, a monitor indicating her vital signs, as well as a window. From where she laid, she could barely make out the sky between some larger light grey structures.

Pan was starting to piece together this wasn't Otherworld.

The door opened. Pan sat upward quickly and turned in the direction of the noise to see who it was, revealing itself to be a younger man who looked like Trunks.

He saw her heart beat going up on the monitor, as well as her panic upon seeing him, and put out his hands to try to calm her down.

"It's okay. It's okay! You're safe!"

After seeing Pan start to relax, he pulled up a chair and sat nearby.

"I'm glad to see you've recovered. You were in really bad shape when we found you."

Pan thought back to the photo of Trunks Bulla showed him: one where he looked much younger, but where Bulma appeared to be the same age as when Trunks was born.

There this young man was, almost a splitting image, save for the dark grey coat.

"Is that really you, Trunks?"

He had to think hard on how to answer that.

"Yes, my name is Trunks. Vegeta was my father and Bulma my mother... but I'm not the same Trunks you knew."

Pan looked down for a moment, coming to terms with the fact that this Trunks was technically the same person with the same parents and appearance, but this was not the Trunks she knew growing up. Trunks saw her deep in thought and tried to start the conversation over.

"What's your name?"

She looked back at him.

"Pan. My name's Pan."

She knew Trunks, or rather, another Trunks, but she was entirely new to him. He stood up and put his hand out for her to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Pan."

He noticed Pan was hesitant to shake his hand.

* * *

Pan saw through the eyes of her younger self when she was just old enough to talk. It was the day she learned the names of the Briefs family. Gohan pointed to Vegeta.

"Pan, this is Vegeta."

"Ve...ge...ta..."

Then Gohan pointed to Bulma.

"And this is Bulma."

"Bul...ma."

He pointed further downward towards Bulla, who was just a year younger than Pan.

"That's Bulla."

"Bul...la."

The teenage Trunks, however, knelt in front of her and put his hand out below her.

"My name is Trunks."

"Tr..."

Pan reached out her small hand to him.

"Trunks."

Upon putting her fingers around his hand, he gently shook up and down.

"Nice to meet you, Pan."

* * *

The weight of everything came back to her: she was alive, but everyone she ever knew was gone, the Trunks of her world included.

"I'm sorry," apologized Pan. "It's just..."

She could tell she was beginning to tear up and looked down, trying not to make eye contact.

"Is everything okay, Pan?"

She sniffled and had to wipe her face with her wrist.

"...it's a lot."

Trunks didn't think of it due to how well Pan looked, but when he first found her...

* * *

There he was, awaiting the arrival of someone. He saw a flash of light beginning to form the shape of a person as it floated downward slowly.

"You're surprised, I'm..."

But then the shape revealed itself to be a young woman, who had clear wounds on her arms, legs, and upper body, and whose skin and clothes were covered in frost.

"Oh no."

He soon realized she was in no position to stand up and ran over to catch her before she could fall face-first on the ground. He turned to others around him.

"Quick, someone get help! Now!"

For the time being, all he could do was keep a tight grip and hold her close with his coat to soothe her freezing temperature.

"Just hang in there, okay?!"

But then she looked up at him.

"Tr... Trunks?"

He was shaken by this.

 _"She knows my name... but how?"_

But then she fell unconscious, barely alive as is.

* * *

He remembered how bad things looked.

"No, I'm the one that should apologize. I can't even imagine what you went through."

He sat back down in his chair, trying to figure out what to say now, as Pan sat with her legs under the covers trying to think it over as well.

"How am I even alive right now? I was in space. I should've..."

He turned back to her.

"I..."

She waited for his explanation.

"You were brought here and we had you in a healing pod for three days."

"So... it was just luck that you found me?"

"Yeah. Luck."

Pan decided to get out of the covers and sat up, her legs and feet hanging off the side. Trunks got up and pointed over to the side of her.

"Do you mind?"

She shook her head, signaling "No, I don't mind" to him. He sat down, both looking at the wall in front of them.

"If there's anything you want to talk about..."

"18 years... for 18 years, I had a home. I had friends. I had a family."

She looked down, Trunks noticing she was making fists with both hands.

"And it was all taken from me... BY THAT MONSTER!"

He saw her fingers piercing into her hands, blood beginning to drip as a result. The sight of this made Trunks uneasy...

* * *

There he was, 14 years old in the pouring rain, screaming into the night in anguish while his fingers squeezed into his palm.

He could feel the pain, but the blood released, like the tears on his face, were indiscernible to him at that moment.

* * *

"Pan..."

He saw the blood beginning to go down her wrist, some getting onto the inside of her sleeves. Trunks grabbed onto her hands, trying to stop her.

"Pan!"

Her expression switched from anger to that of confusion.

"Your hands..."

She didn't even know what she was doing until he brought it to her attention. With that, Trunks let go and she saw eight of her fingertips turned red.

"I didn't realize I was..."

Trunks took the lid off a bottle and pointed it downward towards her palms.

"Here. This'll help."

He carefully poured a green liquid onto her hands, which seemed to cover the wound. Within seconds, Pan saw the bleeding had stopped and her palms were completely healed. From there, he handed her a towel, which she began to use to wipe the blood from her hands and wrists.

She then realized the big question she had been meaning to ask since she arrived.

"Where are we, Trunks?"

"Now look, Pan... this is going to be a lot to take in..."

"Well? Is this even Earth?"

He pointed over to the window.

"All of this... is Toki Toki City."

"And where is this city exactly?"

"At the edge of Universe 7."

"Universe 7? As in there's more than one?"

"Pretty much. Yeah."

She lied her back on the bed, her legs still hanging off the side.

"Huh."

The world was certainly much bigger than she imagined. Pan just looked up at the ceiling.

"Pan, I'm sorry for your loss. Truly, I am."

Trunks could tell she was deep in thought.

"If you want some time alone, I'll leave. But I'll be back to check on you."

Pan could hear Trunks opening the door to leave and just realized another thing on her mind.

"Wait! Trunks?"

He stopped for just a moment.

"Yes, Pan?"

She pointed at the logo on her pajama top.

"What does this stand for?"

"I was hoping to wait until tomorrow, but... Time Patrol."

"Time Patrol? What's that?"

"It's..."

Something was beeping on Trunks' wrist: something had come up.

"I'm sorry, Pan. I promise I'll tell you all about it later. Please, take care."

Finally, he left, leaving Pan to herself.

 _"What could the Time Patrol be?"_

* * *

"Don't you see? Pan's awake now. She's recovered."

"Physically, yes... but the trauma is still there, Trunks. It's not just going to go away overnight."

"You're right... so we'll give her time. But I still think this will all work out."

* * *

Trunks came back into the room, seeing Pan lying on her bed with not much to do and without much will to do much of anything.

"I'm back, Pan. I didn't know if you were hungry, but I brought a few things."

He placed several capsules, each containing a food item, onto a tray.

"Don't know what you like, so here's a variety..."

"Tell me, Trunks... all about the Time Patrol."

He placed the tray in front of her, then sat down in a chair.

"You see, time is... well, complicated. There are countless, perhaps infinite timelines for this universe alone, but they all stem from one single source, which we call the main timeline."

Pan opened one of the capsules, which revealed a bowl of rice with chop sticks.

"And?"

"Well, the problem is that some rather malicious individuals have tried to use time travel in order to alter time to their own ends. Should they threaten the main timeline, it threatens all of time itself."

Pan had slowly eaten a ball of rice, then had an idea.

"But what if someone was trying to stop something bad from happening in a timeline?"

Trunks already had an idea what she was thinking.

"Like..." began Pan. "If I went back to stop Frieza."

"Stop Frieza?"

She was almost starting to smile and getting excited.

"Right! If he never gets to my timeline's Earth, then my family and home would be saved!"

But even then, she saw Trunks sighing: something told her this wasn't going to fly.

"I'm sorry, Pan, but using time travel is forbidden, even if it is for good intentions."

Pan put down her chopsticks: she didn't feel like eating anymore.

"So that's it then... history is set and I can't change it."

"I'm afraid so."

He could see she was upset at this.

"I'm really sorry..."

She turned away from him.

"Please... I just... I need time."

"I understand."

Trunks exited the room, trying to think of what to do now.

 _"What am I supposed to tell her? 'Hey, your family and home's gone, but now we need you to join our team?' Damn it!"_

None of this went as well as Trunks had hoped. He didn't think he'd be helping someone cope with such loss. Nor did he anticipate them wanting to save their world by changing the future.

In fact, it brought back so many of his memories of the past.

* * *

Pan's lied with her eyes closed as her room went dark, the window hidden away to simulate night time. The bowl of rice was on the nightstand and still nearly full like it was earlier.

She had taken in so much: she was in a city that existed on the edge of one of many universes, she lived in one of many timelines, and altering history for any of them was forbidden.

What was she going to do now? Just live the rest of her life there? And do what?

But at long last, Pan had managed to get to sleep.

* * *

It was another childhood memory of hers. The Briefs had invited Pan and her parents to the Capsule Corp headquarters. Inside the building were tons of marvels and technologies being designed and manufactured.

Bulma was guiding them through it with Bulla and Trunks beside her. It seemed Vegeta was too busy to join them. Trunks, now nearly 18, was excited looking at everything.

"I'll be running Capsule Corp some day, right Mom?"

"Sure thing, Trunks... that is, IF you keep your grades up."

He put his hand behind his head.

"Uh... yeah... right."

"And don't forget college too."

"Yes, yes, I know, Mom."

But then they proceeded outside, where Bulma pointed to a giant rocket ship pointing upward.

"Now this is what I brought you all here to see: the launch of our latest space travel vehicle, the..."

Little Pan didn't even hear its name, as her attention was drawn to the rocket itself.

"It's going to take off in a couple minutes, so let's get to our seats so we can watch."

Pan saw Bulma and her children, and her parents heading to another section. But Pan didn't follow.

Instead, she found her way downward to where the rocket was. As far as she knew, no one could see her. And there it was, standing before her.

It was much bigger than how it looked where she was earlier. She knew rockets could fly and she had learned how to fly from her parents. A fun thought occurred to her:

 _"Can I fly as fast as a rocket?"_

Just then, she heard a loud booming voice.

"PREPARING FOR IGNITION IN 30 SECONDS. 29. 28. 27. 26."

Pan backed up for just a moment, then decided to get herself ready as well. Finally...

"3. 2. 1. IGNITION."

The bottom of the rocket fumed with flames as it began to ascent upward. But at this point, Pan had already began flying over it. From the side, she saw the viewing area, where her parents, Bulma, Trunks, and Bulla were. For just that brief moment, she saw their jaws drop... all except for Bulla, who hopped and grinned seeing her.

But even then, Pan could tell the rocket was starting to go faster. She sped up as well, racing it up through the sky. It seemed neck-and-neck for some time, but Pan kept pushing and pushing to get ahead of it.

She was ahead of it. In the lead. She saw that the clouds were nearly entirely gone. There was still one just ahead of her. She turned toward the rocket.

"Last one to that cloud's a rotten egg!"

She sped up as fast as she could, then flew right through the cloud, putting a hole in it. But even then, she kept going, wanting to see how high up she could go.

Pan soon saw herself in space, looking down at the entire Earth. For her at that age, it was like seeing a giant spinning globe like the one on her dad's desk.

But she found she didn't like how space felt, which, as a kid, she couldn't quite explain why. As she flew downward towards Earth, she passed the rocket and waved at it.

"Bye bye."

It may have been her imagination, but Pan thought she saw someone wave back to her from inside the rocket's cockpit.

She made it back to the clouds and sky and Pan decided to try something else: she stopped using her ki to fly, just for a moment.

Pan found herself falling downward, but instead of being frightened, she smiled and giggled, twirling during her descent downward. Though as she neared the Capsule Corp building, Pan finally started flying again, slowing her descent and allowing her to hover slowly back down to the ground, where she found a few people waiting for her.

"Pan!"

She saw Bulla pointing up at her, to which Bulma, Trunks, and her parents looked up as well.

"Pan, that was awesome!"

The two giggled as Pan touched the ground, but then saw her father running over to her, looking less than pleased.

"Pan! Don't you ever fly off like that again! Ever!"

She was starting to feel like she had done something wrong. She turned to Videl, whose face was just as stern.

"Your father and I were worried sick!"

Pan definitely knew she had upset her parents. Bulma tried to step in.

"The important thing is Pan's fine. Now why don't we all just..."

Pan sat down on the ground, covering her face. Bulla was the first to notice.

"Pan, are you okay?"

From there, everyone could hear Pan was crying. Her parents turned to see their daughter clearly upset at what she did.

"Pan, honey..."

Bulla sat down next to Pan, then, when she saw Gohan and Videl approaching, stood up and pointed at them.

"You made Pan cry. You're mean!"

Bulma didn't take this lightly.

"Bulla, don't talk to them like that!"

"But they did. They made her cry."

Pan then felt herself being lifted up: her mother placed her over her shoulder. Pan tried not to look her mother in the eyes.

"I just wanted to see how fast I was."

Videl looked over at her and Pan could see her mother's face was no longer angry.

"I know you didn't mean to scare us, sweetie. But that could have been dangerous."

Gohan made his way to her, wiping her tears with his hand.

"Just promise not to do that again, okay?"

Pan was starting to understand that they didn't hate her for what she did and that she hadn't done something unforgivable. She placed her head between her parents' shoulders, then looked back up at them, no longer upset.

"Okay."

From there, Pan remembered how the rest of the day went: they went to the Briefs' house for dinner, where it was one of the last times she saw Vegeta without facial hair, and the rest of the day was pleasant. Everyone agreed to keep the story of Pan flying the rocket to themselves and not to tell anyone, and Pan understood not to fly around without one of her parents with her.

...

But this was different. Pan almost saw time itself stopping, like her parents' faces and movements were entirely frozen.

"Mom? Dad?"

Her father suddenly sunk downward, his skin looking like sand, as his clothes crumpled to the ground with nothing left but them, clumps of sand, and his glasses.

"Dad, NO!"

Panicked, she grabbed onto her mom tightly, who still didn't move.

"Mom! MOM!"

Her mother sank as well and Pan tried to hold on, only to sink through her mother's hands. She fell to the ground, seeing just her mother's clothes remaining, as well as seeing sand all over her.

She turned over to Bulma and Bulla, whom already began to turn into sand themselves.

"No, NO, PLEASE!"

They fell apart, though their clothes were still there. She knelt on the ground, unable to comprehend what was going on around her.

"Pan..."

Trunks' voice. She looked at him, who had not yet turned into sand, but seemed to shift, his casual attire from that day in the past turning into the gray coat she saw in the present.

"Trunks..."

But then, to her horror, his entire body, skin and clothes, turned into sand. As his face began to dissolve, he still spoke to her.

"I'm so sorry..."

He blew away in her direction, Pan covering her face and trying not to breathe any of the sand in. But this gust was strong, knocking her onto her back.

Pan turned around, seeing the ground she stood on turning to sand as well and even beginning to sink. She tried to fly up, but found she couldn't. Pan then tried climbing upward, but as she tried, realized how futile it was.

It was then she saw Frieza, in his golden form, creating a ball in his fingertips... one of sand.

Pan felt nothing beneath her and now only her head and arms hadn't sunken yet, and now there Frieza was, ready to finish her off.

He tossed the ball right at her, sending her deeper into the sand and now leaving her with no sky or anything to look at.

It was strange: even now, trapped in sand, she wasn't suffocating. In fact, she could still clearly see herself. But as she looked at her fingertips, she saw them slowly fading away. But how?

Her hand's skin tone was slowly morphing into that of sand. As she looked down at her lower body, she saw that it was already sand as well... and fading from the feet up.

Soon, all that was left was her chest and shoulders.

"Your time is up."

Frieza's was the last voice she heard as she saw nothing left of her.

* * *

Pan sat up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily from the nightmare she just experienced. At first, she felt relief.

 _"It was... it was all just a dream."_

But as she looked around, she realized she wasn't in her room on Earth, but in a room in Toki Toki City.

It crushed her: Frieza's attack, her family's death, her Earth's destruction, this new Trunks, Toki Toki City, and the Time Patrol... all of it was real. It wasn't a dream she was ever going to wake up from.

She put her head on her knees and let all her emotions out while outside, the sky was still bright in Toki Toki City.

* * *

Trunks arrived several hours later, seeing Pan standing up and looking out the window.

"Hey, Pan. Did you sleep well?"

"I didn't."

"I'm... I'm sorry to hear that."

He looked over at the rice bowl, seeing that Pan hadn't finished it, let alone put a dent in it since they ate the day before.

"Look, Pan, there's no rush and we want to make sure you're well..."

"What am I doing here? Why am I really here? It's not like I'm going to just work a small job here. So what's really my purpose here?"

Trunks was dreading this. He sighed.

"The Time Patrol needs all available warriors. Fighters. Martial artists."

Pan turned back to him.

"So they need me?"

"They do."

She didn't look sad or angry: unlike before, where see unleashed all her emotions in front of Trunks clearly, it was almost like Pan's face looked indifferent.

"Not like I have anywhere else to go. Where do I start?"

Trunks wasn't pleased with her emotionless tone, but the fact was she was out of bed and he knew her presence here was critical.

"Well, the first step will be for you to join the Time Patrol itself. Go ahead and get dressed. I'll wait outside."

As Trunks left the room, Pan didn't waste any time and quickly changed from her pajamas to her old attire: a blue shirt, light purple pants, faded dark purple fingerless gloves, and purple shoes.

She made her way for the door, but realized she had forgotten something...

Trunks stood patiently as the door finally opened and he saw Pan dressed, but with her orange bandanna on her head.

"Uh, Pan..."

Pan pointed up at her bandanna.

"Will this be a problem?"

"No. No, that should be fine."

He composed himself and led Pan through a hallway filled with doors. From what Pan could see, this was a medical facility, as she saw what looked like other humans lying in some of the rooms. In one, she spotted someone that looked like Piccolo, but with purple skin.

As she saw a doctor of sorts entering one in front of her, she caught a glimpse of the patient inside: one with pure white skin with purple spots and only three toes. Almost like...

But before she could piece it together, a curtain closed, covering the rest of the patient.

"Alright, Pan, now let's start the tour of Toki Toki City."

* * *

From outside, Pan saw grass alongside the hard floor they were on, as well as bridges over water.

"This is the Plaza of Time."

She couldn't help but notice the large altar in the center.

"What's that altar for?"

"Oh? That? It's not important right now."

She then saw a doorway of sorts, but with a strange glow around it.

"And that?"

"It's... a doorway to somewhere I'll show you after training."

He tried to change the subject.

"Ah, look over here."

He pointed over to what almost reminded Pan of the entrance to the World Martial Arts Tournament.

"When we're not defending time, fighting tournaments are hosted there. Nothing serious, of course, but it's there if you wanna try your skills."

"Yo!"

Pan and Trunks turned to see a woman slightly shorter than the two of them with green hair in a black and white martial artists top.

"Whose the new kid, Trunks?"

"Oh... uh, this is Pan."

Pan gave off a light wave back to her.

"Pan, this is Hakusa."

Hakusa put out her hand to shake, which Pan took. She felt a tight grip just from Hakusa shaking hands with her.

"Whoops, sorry about that."

Trunks tried steering her and Pan towards the next area.

"Say, listen Hakusa, we need to get going, so we'll have to catch up later."

"Wait, before you go..."

Hakusa reached into her uniform's pocket on her purple pants and pulled out a scouter. Unlike the one Pan had seen that was at the Briefs house, which had a green screen, this scouter's screen was a pink-purple hue.

"I just picked up this special edition scouter. I wanna see how strong you are."

Pan stood in intrigue.

"Okay, sure. Go ahead."

Trunks walked over to the side of Hakusa to see as well.

"I mean, suppose it couldn't hurt."

Hakusa put the scouter into place by her left eye and tapped the side, activating it as it began to scan her.

"Let's see here..."

It concluded and Hakusa's face wasn't stunned by a massive power level... but almost looked concerned.

"Hakusa, what did it say?"

She took off her scouter and showed it to Trunks, who saw that the reading was not exactly a confidence booster.

"Trunks, are you sure she's ready for this?"

He tried to figure out what to say when Pan cleared her throat.

"We don't want to be late, right Trunks?"

"Right, right. We really do need to get going right now, Hasuka."

The two hurried over to the next area as Pan saw Hasuka waving back to her.

"It was nice meeting you, Pan."

When the two left her sight, Hakusa looked back at her scouter, still wondering about Pan's power level being much lower than she had expected of a Time Patroller. She sighed.

"What is she doing here anyway?"

* * *

Pan saw various shops in the next area.

"So is this the market place, Trunks?"

"More or less. It's the Industrial Sector."

Pan looked over to a clothing store, which had various items on display, including an orange gi with the turtle symbol.

"Wait, that's... from the Turtle School."

"Yes, the Turtle School's warriors are quite famous around Toki Toki City."

As Pan looked at the shops, she saw they weren't run by other people, but rather small round robots with coiled arms.

"Greetings. Can I interest you in anything today?"

Pan paused as Trunks stepped in.

"Uh, sorry. Just browsing."

Pan figured that was the case and the two proceeded.

* * *

"And this is the Time Machine Station. Perhaps one of the most pivotal areas of Toki Toki City aside from..."

"...aside from behind that glowing doorway by the plaza?"

"Yeah..."

She turned to see various time machines standing by.

"So use of a time machine's illegal, but you still use them to catch them in the act..."

"Well, I mean, sure... but it's different, though, because..."

As Trunks tried explaining how the Time Patrol's use of time machines was allowed, she caught a glimpse of a golden statue behind the tunnel to that area. It seemed to be a robed figured... in fact, it almost looked like it had a familiar stance she had seen before...

"Hi, excuse me..."

Pan heard the voice behind her and turned to see no one looking at her.

"I'm down here."

She looked down...

...and nearly hopped backward at the sight of this individual: a short, chubby-looking green creature with a blue top, yellow pants, and a black cape wrapped around his waist.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to alarm you, miss. I was wondering if you could help me find Team Registration."

Trunks immediately pointed in the direction of a round structure.

"Team registration's over there."

"Oh. Thank you, Trunks."

Before leaving, this short green man put out his black gloved hand to shake.

"Oh, my name's Goma."

Pan crouched down, then shook.

"I'm Pan."

Trunks heard a beeping on his wrist and knew what it was signaling.

"Sorry Goma, but we're running late! We have to go!"

He began taking off as Pan ran behind him. Goma waved to her, then looked over to where Trunks pointed earlier.

"Now let's see... Team Registration's there, right?"

He then saw another similar structure.

"...or was it over there?"

* * *

At last, Trunks and Pan had arrived to their intended location: from appearances, the structure looked like a recruitment center with a boot camp behind it.

"Here it is, Pan: the Time Patrol academy. The proving grounds for all Time Patrollers."

He walked her through to the entrance as they finally made it through the front doors. They came across a front desk, which was headed by another robot.

"Not a lot of living workers around here..."

"With so many at work defending time itself, mechanical staff help to keep everything running."

Trunks walked up to the desk.

"How may I help... wait, aren't you already signed up for the Time Patrol, Trunks?"

"Uh, yes, but I'm here to sign her up."

"Did you schedule an appointment?"

"Yes, around this time."

"Please hold."

The mechanical worker tapped a keyboard-esque surface, searching through files as Pan waited.

"An appointment for a 'Pan'?"

"Yes. We're here... I mean she's here, but I'm just making sure everything goes over okay."

"And this appointment is with Hale?"

"That's right."

The robot pointed in the direction of a door, which opened shortly afterward.

"You may proceed."

"Do all recruits meet with this Hale?" Pan inquired to Trunks as they proceeded through.

"No," Trunks answered. "Commander Hale's one of the highest ranking members of the Time Patrol. I made the appointment myself so you could meet him beforehand."

He began to turn a corner.

"In fact, his quarters should be coming up..."

"Trunks."

A deep voice called out to him.

"Commander Hale. We were just on our way to your..."

"I was just getting some exercise. Stretching my legs and tail, as it were. So where is this Pan you wanted me to speak to?"

Pan finally turned the corner herself as Trunks turned to introduce her.

"She's right here. Pan, this is Commander Hale."

She saw Hale's feet and legs first: military-style boots and olive green pants. She also saw the tail that Hale was mentioning: a dark brown tail swerving behind him. From above, a curious set of tan body armor with TP on the left side of the chest.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Pan."

He lifted his hand up to shake, but then Pan saw his head. Despite the dark brown skin, the tan horned exoskeleton and green gem plate on his head having different colors from him, Hale's facial features were very reminiscent of...

 _"Just like Frieza..."_

Hale noticed Pan looking a little uneasy.

"Is everything alright?"

Trunks saw this as well and realized something he had forgotten to mention.

 _"I didn't even think of it. She lost her family to Frieza and I never told her the Time Patrol also consists of members of his..."_

Hale could see Pan beginning to make fists with her hands and placed his hand to his side.

"It's about Lord Frieza, isn't it?"

Pan heard him acknowledge what it was she was thinking of.

"Yes, I am of the same race as Frieza... but let me make it clear to you: myself and the rest of my kind do not share his evil and cruelty."

He took a step closer to her.

"You lost family to him?"

She was attempting to calm down, even as her mind kept overlapping Hale's image with that of Frieza's.

"My family... and my home."

"I cannot express how much it pains me every time Frieza performs these acts... but do not let that color your perception of me."

Pan imagined Frieza beckoning her, then cleared her mind of it.

"...or else Frieza wins."

"Right you are, Pan."

With that standoff over...

"Now we can proceed to my quarters so we may properly begin."

The moment behind them, they arrived at Hale's room, which appeared to be a small, humble abode with a desk, a few chairs, and not much in the way of decorations. He let Pan in first, but stopped Trunks.

"You'll have to understand that such a discussion must be done with confidentiality."

Trunks nodded.

"Of course."

* * *

The door shut behind Pan and Hale as Hale took his place behind his desk. He pointed to the chair in front of her.

"Sit... unless you would prefer to stand. It makes no difference to me."

Pan remained standing.

"Now then miss "Pan"... you are here to join our Time Patrol. But before you do, I want to hear why you're joining us."

Pan then decided to sit down and tried to think of what to say.

"...because I'm needed here."

"That may be so, Pan, but why are you truly here? Only you can make yourself a Time Patroller. I can't force it onto you."

"I can't go back home. I have nothing left. And I'm here. There's nowhere else for me to go."

Hale put his hands together, listening intently to every word from her.

"All my life, I trained in martial arts... and it's not like I'm going to use them for much else now."

"I understand that, Pan, but are you truly making that choice yourself?"

She pondered for the longest time: Trunks had told her that the Time Patrol needed her, but did she truly agree to it?

"I don't know."

Hale saw her sigh.

"At this point of my life, I don't know what to do with myself."

He stood up from his chair.

"You do understand that whatever normalcy you attain here... will not be the same as that of your home."

She nodded.

"Yes."

"The most important ideal of the Time Patrol is that we must look beyond our past. This must be understood before one joins. Tell me truthfully... do you understand this?"

Pan took longer to respond to this, but nodded.

"I understand."

"Good. Then welcome to the Time Patrol. Tomorrow, you will begin your training. You're dismissed."

Pan let herself out as Trunks heard Hale's voice from the room.

"Trunks... might we have a word?"

"Pan, wait here or in the waiting room. I'll be just a minute."

* * *

Trunks took a seat in Hale's office as Hale remained standing before him.

"I know I'm mirroring the Supreme Kai of Time's sentiments, but emotionally, Pan is not ready for this."

"Shenron never makes mistakes. He couldn't have made one."

"That may be true... but that does not mean Pan will be prepared for battle immediately."

"It's why I came to you, Hale: only you can prepare her for that."

"I give you my word she will not become a casualty."

Trunks nodded, then turned to leave.

"One more thing, Trunks..."

Trunks let go of the door for just a moment to hear what Hale had to say.

"You must not delay telling her exactly how she came here. The longer you postpone it, the worse your mentorship with her will be as a result."

"Yes, Hale."

* * *

Trunks exited to see Pan was still waiting for him by the door.

"Alright, Pan. Now that you're with the Time Patrol, let me show you where you'll be staying."

Between the academy and the medical area she had been staying at the day before was the housing area.

"Obviously with so many Time Patrollers, they are all provided living quarters when not on missions."

They passed by countless houses, each marked by roman numerals.

"Ah, here's your unit."

He pointed Pan to a house with "DCCXX" etched on the side of it. Upon entering, she saw that it was more-or-less a one room apartment, but with adequate space for entertainment, cooking, eating, and sleep as well as a bathroom.

"This is all yours, Pan."

He looked over at the sofa.

"Hey, what's that over there?"

Pan walked over to it and saw...

"The Power Pole! My Grandpa's Power Pole!"

She was ecstatic to see the prized possession of her grandfather with her own eyes again. She turned to Trunks, her mood uplifted.

"Thank you so much, Trunks."

"Uh, don't mention it. Also..."

He pointed to a button on the side of the couch.

"Just a push of that and it'll convert into a bed complete with sheets."

He then pointed to a small closet.

"Clothes, including pajamas and your Time Patrol uniform for tomorrow."

Then over to the cooking area.

"The fridge is filled with a variety of things to eat. I mean, if you're picky, we can work on just getting you specifics, but for right now, it's to gauge your tastes."

Pan caught a pair of keys from him with the house numerals on a key chain.

"I guess with that, you're all set here. I'll see you at the academy tomorrow."

He started to make his way for the door.

"Trunks..."

He turned to her.

"I know things haven't been easy for me so far and I probably could've acted better before... so I just want to say thank you for sticking with me."

"Well, I mean I'm happy to help. If you ever need anything, just let me know and I'll be here."

She nodded to him almost cheerfully as she watched him opening the door.

"Uh, Pan..."

"Yes, Trunks?"

He turned, pondering if this was the best time to tell her.

"I just wanted to say..."

Pan waited for his answer.

"Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks."

The door closed and Pan looked over at her new surroundings, then at the Power Pole still on her couch. She grabbed onto the power pole and its case, almost hugging them.

"I still have you with me..."

That night, she lied in her Time Patrol pajamas, the power pole neatly hung up on the wall above her.


	7. What is Pan's Level? Trunks the Mentor!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan found herself waking up in another cold sweat brought about by another nightmare of Frieza. She sat up, trying to control her breathing to relax, but it wasn't until she looked up at her grandfather's Power Pole, which she had hung up on the wall the night before, that she finally began to relax.

Having it back in her possession after she believed it to be lost was a large comfort for her: it was like her grandfather Goku was still watching over her.

As breakfast was heating, she checked her closet for the uniform Trunks left for her training:

Black and white track clothes and shoes, with "TP" on the back of the jacket top.

"I can work with that color scheme."

Upon getting dressed, orange bandanna included, she had a full meal: probably the most she'd eaten in Toki Toki City so far. She wanted to make sure she had full energy for today.

She opened her door, then turned to the Power Pole.

"Wish me luck, Grandpa Goku."

* * *

Pan had plenty of time and simply walked over out of the housing area towards the academy. She saw plenty of other Time Patrollers nearby and waved back to those that said hello.

Though she did catch a few seeing her, then talking amongst themselves. Pan didn't want to try eavesdropping, but did hear a few things on the way.

"It's that girl. The one from four days ago."

"I saw her. She was in pretty bad shape when they found her."

"Rumor has it she was summoned here."

But Pan thought nothing of it as she arrived bright and early, only a few other patrollers there alongside her.

It didn't quite feel like high school, since this looked to be entirely based on physicality, more akin to gym. Maybe this is what college felt like... but for fighting.

Of the people there, it was a mixed cast: humans, or maybe even Saiyans since it was often difficult to pick them apart from each other, as well as Piccolo's race...

* * *

"What are you, Mr. Piccolo?"

She thought back to when Piccolo was babysitting her for her parents. Why they were away, she couldn't even begin to recall.

But there she was, coloring a picture while asking Piccolo this question. He didn't quite know how to approach it.

"What do you mean, Pan?"

"You look different..."

Pan was getting old enough to figure out most people in her life didn't have green skin and antanea.

"So what are you?"

He grinned.

"My father was from space. A planet called Namek."

"And where is your dad?"

Piccolo immediately changed the topic by leaning over her.

"Hey. What's that you're coloring, Pan?"

Pan had just finished.

"A dragon."

She had colored the dragon's skin green and was putting the finishing touches on its eyes with a red crayon.

* * *

 _"From Namek, so... Namekians?"_

She saw a few members of Frieza's race. Some short and with exoskeletons, others much smoother-looking, and some large and bulking.

Pan had definitely internalized what Hale had told her the day before, not looking at them with a scowl and being gracious whenever they approached her.

And then there was that odd group entirely new to her: the males, short and tall, seemed chubby, while the females were much slimmer. They all came in a variety of colors and with almost cartoonish faces.

But she didn't know what they were or where they came from.

"Well, you're certainly early..."

Pan saw a familiar face approaching her.

"Hey, Trunks. Just checking on me?"

"Actually, I'll be assisting with today's session."

Trunks' wrist beeped, then Commander Hale's voice could be heard all across the area.

"All new recruits, report to the training grounds."

"That's our cue."

Trunks ran off as Pan saw the other newcomers making their way there and joined them.

* * *

There Pan stood in the arena-esque training grounds alongside a mass of other new recruits. They all didn't know what was to come, but knew the life of a Time Patroller would not be a cakewalk.

But then Pan caught Trunks approaching alongside Commander Hale, the ground beneath those two rising until they came to a stop.

"Welcome, everyone. Before we start, a few words from Commander Hale."

Trunks moved to the side as Hale took center stage, his arms behind his back as he stood up straight while overlooking the crowd before him.

"I know the fears and doubts that plague you. 'How can I survive these battles? Or these opponents?'"

Anyone who had been initially talking during his speech were completely silent at this point.

"But I promise you that if you stick with me... I will ensure your survival."

This statement was met with applause, though Hale raised his hand to quiet it down.

"Today will be simple enough: you will all be gauged individually so that we can place you into your designated levels."

* * *

All the recruits split into several lines, each leading to stations to process each individual's strength.

Pan saw herself in front of a punching machine, one far more high tech than the one at the World Martial Arts Tournament. A round robot looked at her, then at a holographic list in its three-fingered hands.

"Name?"

"Pan."

It marked her name, then gestured toward a circle on the ground in front of the punching machine.

"Alright Miss Pan. Stand right there and hit the machine as hard as you can."

She swung her arm to get ready, then fueled her arm with ki as she gave out a shout.

 ***CLUNK!***

The machine didn't even shake as she struck it.

"Huh. Maybe they're nailed in more here."

A screen next to the machine blinked red and beeped. The robot looked at this while appearing to scratch its head with one of its arms.

 _"...is that good or bad?"_

She tried to play it off casually.

"So how did I do?"

"Miss Pan, your striking power is under the requirement."

A requirement? Pan was unaware of this.

"M... maybe I should hit it again?"

"I'm sorry, but you're several hundred points below the minimum requirement."

Pan didn't want to hold up the line of other recruits behind her, but she had to know if this was really it for her.

"Is there nothing else I can do?"

"I'm afraid..."

Trunks overheard all this and couldn't bear to see her potentially getting turned down.

"Now hold on just a minute," Trunks stated, stepping in front of the robot. "Power isn't everything."

Hale took a step forward.

"You bring up a perfectly valid point, Trunks. Power alone does not win battles... it is how it is utilized."

The robot didn't have a face to convey emotions, but almost put up its hands nervously.

"Look, I'm just programmed to inform recruits when their striking power is too low. It's nothing personal towards any of them. It's all a matter of ensuring their safety against others here and on the job."

Hale pat the robot on its top.

"You've done nothing wrong. We'll keep an eye on this one."

The two gestured Pan to move forward as the robot remained nailed to the ground at its station. It swiped its hand against its top like one would wipe sweat from their forehead.

"Next."

As much as Pan appreciated Trunks and Hale standing up for her despite her lower power, she couldn't help but wonder about the robot's concerns.

"When the robot said I was below the minimum, does that mean I'm...?"

"It's more of a guideline, really," answered Trunks.

"However, it would be wise to exercise caution for the time being," added Hale.

From behind her, Pan heard a loud slam on the machine and could feel it shaking from where she was. The robot turned toward a man in a black and red uniform.

"That is one of our highest scores today. Proceed."

Pan realized her strike hadn't even shaken the machine and there was this man, who had done just that and was one of the highest scorers here.

Nevertheless, she kept moving alongside Trunks and Hale, whom were trying to talk quietly to each other.

"Obviously, with training, she'll reach it in no time, right?"

"It's all a matter of how much time it'll take."

Pan acted like she wasn't listening, though her unintended eavesdrop on their conversation regarding her didn't quite ease how she was feeling.

 _"I know they're both looking out for me, but what if that robot's right? That my safety could be at stake."_

* * *

Next, Pan saw herself standing underneath what looked like a large rectangular block. Trunks described its function to her.

"When you catch it, it'll slowly increase in weight to map out your maximum lifting capacity. It'll become light as air when you're finished."

She nodded at him, then placed her hands over her head as she awaited its descent. The robot running the station pressed a switch, causing the block to fall towards her.

 _"Here goes..."_

She caught it with ease, the weight hardly feeling like anything. But then, she could feel it slowly becoming heavier. Trunks saw a gauge next to the machine listing its current weight.

 _"500 pounds... so far, so good, Pan."_

Back home, she could work just about any weight-lifting machine to its maximum, often being coached not to overdo it or she'd risk breaking the machine. But here, she felt she could lift even more and knew the technology could keep up with her.

 _"I've never tried going this far before. Let's see what I can do..."_

Trunks kept watching the monitor.

 _"15 hundred pounds..."_

She was starting to sweat now.

 _"Two tons..."_

Pan could feel the weight of the block increasing faster every couple seconds, as well as her muscles beginning to ache.

 _"This might be a bit much... but I've gotta keep it up as long as I can."_

Some of the Earthling recruits in line behind her were talking amongst themselves.

"That girl's not from Earth, is she?"

"Are we sure she's a human?"

 _"Five tons..."_

Pan nearly lost her footing, crouching over, but still stood on her feet and continued to grip the block. Even with that success, Pan could feel sweat pouring from her face and the veins in her arms bulging.

 _"This is... a lot."_

Trunks saw the monitor's numbers go up once more.

At this point, Pans' arms finally gave out. She fell onto her knees, grabbing her right arm with her left hand, then saw the block falling down towards her head...

...when it practically bounced off her, now weighing next to nothing instead of the several tons she could barely lift seconds earlier. The robot at the station marked down her score.

"Ten tons. Proceed."

Pan managed to push herself upward back onto her feet from the ground, but then stumbled back for a moment before regaining her balance. Three robots with tank tracks moved toward her, their hands helping her to stand as they moved her past the station.

"Careful now..."

The Earthlings then began looking nervously at their arms, then back at the station.

"I knew I shouldn't have skipped weights."

A few Saiyans, however, did not seem impressed at Pan's display.

* * *

Trunks saw the robots walking Pan across, then approached them.

"I'll take it from here."

The robots left Trunks to help Pan over to a bench to sit on.

"So... ten tons. That's pretty impressive."

Pan tried lifting her jacket's sleeve, seeing her arm's veins plainly and almost red.

"My arms are killing me already. Any more and they would've fallen off."

"Right. Obviously punching and lifting are two different things. Not to mention your legs certainly helped with that as well."

As Trunks saw and Pan felt, she could still stand up after that session, but it obviously took a lot out of her.

"For someone from Earth, that is still quite the..."

"25 tons! Proceed."

Pan and Trunks watched as the man in black and red continued onward, his arms down, but him not even needing the robot helpers to help him across. She could clearly see his face and his messy black hair, his expression almost indifferent to the experience.

 _"He lifted almost three times as much as me... and he's still walking around just fine."_

He noticed Pan looking at him and stopped in front of her.

"What's with the staring? Do you have something you want to say to me?"

She didn't care for his tone, but didn't want to come across as aggressive or bothered in her current state. Plus, she didn't have many friends here.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

She used her left hand to anchor her right arm for him to shake.

"I'm Pan."

He didn't move his arms an inch.

"I'm here to defend history, not fraternize."

He turned his back to her as he continued on his way.

"And my name is Pima."

After Pima was far from the group, Trunks turned back to her.

"Look, I know he seemed rude, but..."

"It's fine, Trunks."

As frustrated as Pan was with Pima's attitude, she knew they were all on the same team at the end of the day.

"I don't know all the recruits here, but I know this Pima's a bit of a loner. Not a bully by any means, but a Saiyan of few words."

"A Saiyan?"

Vegeta was the only full Saiyan she had ever known. Her world's Trunks, her uncle and her father were half-Saiyan, and Bulla, like herself, was just a fourth Saiyan.

"Right. Through several timelines, we've obtained a sizable number of surviving Saiyans. Some even predating Frieza's extermin..."

He caught whose name he had just mentioned and went silent. Pan just took in what he had to say.

"So he's the one who eliminated most Saiyans."

Trunks couldn't help but notice she was somewhat knowledgeable on the topic to an extent.

"You seem to know a few things about Saiyans. Where did you learn about them?"

* * *

There she was sitting in her dad's lap.

"Where did Grandpa Goku come from?"

Gohan simply smiled at her.

"He came to Earth from faraway."

"Was he an alien?"

"He was a Saiyan."

"Are you a Saiyan, dad?"

"Well... I'm half-Saiyan."

"Am I a Saiyan too?"

He paused for just a moment.

"A little bit."

"How much?"

"You'll know when you're older."

"How many Saiyans are there?"

He had to pause much longer to find the right answer.

"Not too many."

* * *

On another occasion, Pan recalled Vegeta watching over her and Bulla.

"Tell me about my Grandpa Goku."

Vegeta seemed a bit hesitant.

"I'm not sure your parents would like that, Pan."

"I can keep it a secret. I promise."

"So... you really want to know about him?"

Pan nodded her head and Bulla seemed just as curious. He grinned under his mustache.

"Okay, then..."

Much time had passed and her and Bulla remained sitting in intrigue throughout the whole story. With it so far about Goku traveling to other planets and fighting bad guys, they were enjoying it.

"...and when he fought the evil monster Frieza, Kakarot did something incredible: his hair turned golden and he became even stronger."

Bulla raised her hand.

"Like super-duper strong?"

"That's right. He became the one and only Super Saiyan. And with that, he defeated Frieza, who never came back to do evil again. The end."

Pan recalled that day especially: it was when she first heard about Frieza, but most memorable of all was hearing about Goku going Super Saiyan.

She raised her hand.

"Can I go Super Saiyan too?"

Vegeta thought on this for some time...

"Maybe when you're older."

It was that day in which her lifelong goal first began: to become a Super Saiyan like her grandfather Goku.

For so many years of her life, she kept trying to achieve that form to no success. When she was younger, she assumed she wasn't old enough to achieve the form. As she got older, however, she began to wonder if she was incapable of it.

* * *

Finally, she answered Trunks about his inquiry.

"Family and friends, I guess."

A thought occurred to Trunks.

"Speaking of... you knew my parents, right Pan?"

"I did."

"Did your folks work for Capsule Corp?"

"Actually..."

Their conversation was interrupted by Hale approaching them.

"You're falling to the back of the line. If you've fully recovered, I suggest you get moving."

Pan looked back at her arms, whose veins were plainly visible earlier, and saw they had recovered somewhat.

"Well, now my arms feel loads better."

She got up from the bench, seeing that she wasn't struggling to stand this time.

"Okay, I'm all set."

She got in line for what appeared to be a running station as Trunks turned to Hale.

"I've been thinking, Hale..."

"Yes, Trunks?"

"Pan's at least part-Saiyan and when we found her, she was nearly... so she should get a Zenkai boost pretty soon."

"Maybe so, but that depends entirely on her biology. Once again, I must emphasize that it could take much time."

Trunks mused to himself after this.

 _"Pan's power hasn't doubled... or even gone up by a third yet. How much Saiyan is she?"_

* * *

She saw an indoor area more akin to a track and field. A robot pointed Pan in the direction of a sensor at the start and finish line, as well as a monitor.

"This will be a two-part test. First, you'll run a lap as fast as you can. After a ten second rest, you'll fly towards the sensor as fast as you can."

Pan saw several starting blocks: one of human-esque feet, as well as much ones with much larger foot prints including those with more or fewer toes. She grabbed and placed the one closest to her foot size at the designated spot, then got into a running position.

"Ready? Set. GO!"

As soon as the robot gave her the clear, she raced across the track with her feet alone. In high school, her parents had told her to ease up on her speed so as not to draw attention, much like her father had to at her age.

* * *

There Pan was back in high school, running a lap outdoors at a casual jogging pace, hardly looking the worse for wear at the finish even as other runners lied down on the grass afterward from their own.

Her PE instructor turned to her.

"With how well you keep a pace, I'm surprised you still haven't joined our track team yet. They could use someone like you."

Pan put her hand behind her head.

"Sorry, I'd love to, but my parents really want me to study hard."

"Knowing Professor Gohan, I'm not surprised."

* * *

But here in Toki Toki City, she didn't have to worry about that. She could finally go all out.

The robot simply watched the timer on the monitor:

1 second...

2 seconds...

3 seconds...

Pan rarely got the chance to move this fast. As much as part of her was enjoying it, she focused on the turns.

4 seconds...

5 seconds...

6 seconds...

 _"Almost there..."_

7 seconds...

From there, she passed the scanner and the timer paused at just a little over seven seconds.

Pan crouched over for just a moment, then saw the scanner and monitor moving farther ahead of her current position. What looked to her like a giant pillow emerged on the track wall, which made some sense to her: flying at such high speeds would cause someone to crash straight through otherwise.

"A hundred and twenty-four miles per hour. 8 seconds to the next exercise."

She watched the counter go downward to six and five.

"You may begin floating now."

She was off the ground, her feet facing the other directions and her arms toward her intended destination. Wit three seconds left, she thought back to all the times she had flown.

* * *

Flying to Bulla's at night.

Flying into the sky during the tournament.

Flying into space against a rocket as a kid.

* * *

At one second, she was ready.

"And... GO!"

She flew forward with everything she had. It didn't even feel like a second had passed to her as she passed the scanner and monitor. It was then she saw that she heading right for the pillow, unable to change her course before hitting it...

...but as she struck it, almost feeling like she was about to pierce through it, Pan suddenly felt a complete loss of momentum. This material, whatever it was, had stopped her.

But then she saw herself flung backward, not nearly at the speed she was flying, but a high speed all the same. In her path, another pillow-esque structure of the same make at the other side of the track. She bounced off that one as well, then finally began to regain control.

She slid on the track's floor for a moment, but managed to come to a complete stop before the robot. Once she did, she had to crouch down again, this time grasping her stomach.

"How fast was... that?"

"Seventeen thousand miles per hour. Proceed."

* * *

She walked across to the next room, ready to lie down on the ground when she saw a handful of other recruits already having done the same.

One Earthling especially took it hard, lying next to a trash container, which she assumed he had to use after he had finished.

"There went my breakfast..."

Pan saw Pima, whom was standing by himself, not even looking at the others lying around him.

 _"Are full-blooded Saiyans just better with this sort of thing?"_

She sat down, her back against the wall and her stomach still bothering her.

 _"Is my human side really that weak?"_

But the longer she thought on it, she realized that wasn't even close to the case.

 _"There's flying at a comfortable pace and then there's flying at my maximum, then bouncing back and forth. Of course I'm not feeling great after that."_

* * *

Outside this room was back where they started, with Hale back in his original position.

"Now that we have gauged all of you, you shall all receive your current level."

Swarms of robots skated across the area, each handing out small papers to the recruits present. She could hear the scores from across the various groups read aloud by the robots.

"30!"

"50!"

"40!"

Near the Saiyans, she could hear even larger numbers.

"70!"

"60!"

She saw Pima receiving his.

"80!"

Then a robot approached her, handing her hers. She read the double digit number just as the robot had stated it.

"10!"

Pan didn't know if this was a case where the lowest number was better or not. But then Hale began assembling them by their numbers.

"80 and higher, to your quadrant."

She saw holographic lines appear on the ground nearby her position, an 80 in the center of it. She stepped to the side as only a handful of recruits entered, Pima included.

"These select few ranked the highest in initial testing."

What Pan suspected was true: she was among the lowest of all the recruits.

 _"10 tons... a hundred and twenty-four... 17,000... and I'm this low?"_

She watched in silence as the rest of the groups assembled from 70 to 20 before Hale finally made it to the last group.

"10, to your quadrant."

A square right in front of where Hale stood emerged as she made her way there. She saw what looked like the smaller, shorter, and skinnier recruits assembled around her.

Pan could see and hear the same reaction from others in her square.

"I can't believe this..."

"I trained so hard and here I am..."

"I'll never get anywhere at this level."

"Am I really that pathetic?"

This almost seemed to confirm what Pan had feared...

...but Hale stomped with his foot, the loud noise and impact getting everyone's attention.

"Allow myself to be clear, everyone: for those of you of lower levels... do not be discouraged. Even the lowest level can rise to become one of the highest... but it will take time. Time and hard work. And for the job of defending time itself, I expect you all to put in your maximum effort from this point forward. Understood?"

Pan could see all the other recruits stomping their feet on the ground and saluting, then followed suit.

"Good. Dismissed."

* * *

Pan sat in her housing unit, slowly eating the lunch she had prepared and swimming in thought regarding her current status in the Time Patrol.

Just then, a knock on her door. She answered it and saw Trunks before her.

"Hi. Uh... is this a bad time?"

She opened the door all the way for him, allowing him entry.

"Is this about my level, Trunks?"

"Partially."

She sat down at the table while he stood nearby.

"You have to understand that this is just how you rank currently. With enough work, you're bound to go up in no time."

"And how long will that take? A hundred years?"

Trunks could tell what he had to tell her wasn't helping. But then Pan caught how ungraciously she responded to him.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to snap at you, Trunks."

"It's fine."

He pulled up a chair from the table and sat down looking at her from across the table.

"Between you and me, I didn't start off high either..."

He reached into his coat for something.

"In fact..."

He handed her an old piece of paper. Partially torn, the number faded, though still readable.

"I was at the bottom of the barrel myself."

She saw that this paper had 10 written on it, the same as hers.

"And for the longest time, I couldn't get over it. After everything I went through, I figured I should've been a shoe-in for anything but that. But I kept at it. I trained harder. Took on the best of the other levels. And eventually, I made it to where I am now."

Pan knew what he was getting at: for her not to be distraught over her level and to keep trying.

"How long did it take you?"

"Not as quickly as I would've liked, I'll admit... but not that long either."

He stood back up.

"Commander Hale has permitted me to use the academy grounds after-hours to help you train. Starting today in a few hours."

He put his hand out to her.

"Be there and I promise you I'll get you through the ranks quicker than it took me alone."

She shook his hand.

"Deal. I'll be there early."

"Take your time, Pan. I'll see you there."

He proceeded to exit, leaving Pan to finish her meal. She was starting to eat faster now that she had something to help her current situation.

* * *

Since Toki Toki City didn't experience night time, Pan was still getting used to her night time schedule taking place in what appeared to be continuous sunlight.

Trunks stood waiting as she approached the academy grounds.

"Now that you're here, let's head to the sparring area."

There Pan saw a square, somewhat larger than the World Martial Arts Tournament's, surrounded by bleachers of some kind.

"To move further up, you'll be fighting your fellow level, as well as those higher than you."

As soon as both entered, he pressed a remote in his hands and Pan saw a field go over the square, then turn invisible.

"Here, there's no ring outs. It's decided by knock out, forfeit, or Commander Hale's call."

She noticed Trunks stretching his arms and neck and followed suit.

"I'm going to gauge your strength and use my power accordingly. But whatever you do, don't hold back on me, Pan. Understand?"

Pan nodded and took on a fighting stance while Trunks just stood normally.

"Attack me any way you like."

She tried coming up with what to start with, but the ease of his stance made it difficult for her to think.

 _"He's clearly seen more battle than I have. He'll be ready for anything I throw at him."_

Nonetheless, she sprinted over to him, noting he was keeping up with her movement the entire time. He blocked her first punch with his wrist, then did the same for the opposite hands. Her kick was met by his own, stopping hers in its tracks.

Sensing she was at a disadvantage right there, she jumped backward, Trunks still in the same position as before. She fired off a ki projectile, which Trunks swatted away behind him, the projectile dissipating upon striking the field. She fired off multiples as quickly as she could, dust appearing all around him, hiding him from her sight.

 _"I panicked. I always throw out ki like candy when I'm nervous. And when has that ever worked for me?"_

She saw the dust settle around her and saw no sign of Trunks in that spot. Just then... it was like she could feel the air behind her moving...

Pan turned around and saw Trunks going for a punch. Despite guarding with both hands, she was sent back so hard that she struck the barrier. It was almost like being struck into a net, but with a slight shock.

 _"Sorry Pan, but I can't go easy on you."_

He fired off a barrage of ki projectiles in her direction, the speed much faster and the quantity much larger.

 _"Holy crap."_

She moved left to right and right to left as quickly as she could, avoiding the first few batches, but soon saw herself completely overwhelmed. In that moment, she was struck by one, leaving her wide open to the rest.

Trunks watched the dust settle this time, seeing what looked like a silhouette of Pan lying on her hands and stomach. He charged ki in his hand, aiming towards her.

"Think fast!"

He fired, the dust practically vaporized, but also without any sign of Pan.

 _"What?!"_

She flew in from behind him with a kick, partially striking his hair as he ducked to avoid it. From there, he charged his ki in his palm and swung it downward into her back.

 _"Huh?!"_

His hand pierced right through her, then she seemed to fade away. He then caught her going for another punch, which he barely caught in time as he slid back a few feet.

"The afterimage technique, huh?"

After pushing Pan back, he went for another ki-enhanced punch, which, as he predicted, struck an afterimage of Pan. He then charged ki around himself and detonated it around him.

Just as he planned, the shockwave struck Pan, who was to the side of him.

"You can't overrely on that technique, or else you'll get predictable."

He charged at her and threw a punch she avoided. The next punch, however, struck her side dead-on. She went to guard an incoming strike to her head with her wrist, but found it and her wrist being slammed into her forehead.

Pan fell onto her back, then realized a small trail of blood dripped from her forehead: that struck her harder than she expected.

"Hurry now!"

He charged a ki blast with both hands, then launched it at the grounded Pan, whom leapt upward to avoid it. She kept flying upward as high as she could with Trunks in hot pursuit until her head struck the top of the barrier. She bounced downward toward the ground to Trunks' surprise.

 _"She should've known better than to try flying that high up... unless it was..."_

It was then that he caught her firing a beam at the ground with one hand to propel herself back upward and with her other fist raised upward toward him. Pan had made him think she was too careless to pay attention to the barrier, but counted on hitting it to send her back downward out of his attack range.

 _"Clever..."_

She finally landed her first blow of the match, striking him in the stomach while the two were propelled into the top of the barrier. Both received a shock from it, but Trunks especially took the brunt of it. She took advantage of this to throw more punches, though even in this state, Trunks was still stopping them.

She went for a knee strike, which Trunks countered with one of his own, and then the two slammed into each other shoulder-to-shoulder.

 _"She's good... but I'm not going to make this easy for her."_

 _"I know he's holding back. I just don't know if this is Trunks at 10% effort, or less even."_

Both put their hand out to strike each other with a ki blast, but they each intercepted each other, knocking the two back towards the arena's barrier. Both bounced off them and flew back at each other, Trunks not even having his arms up at this point.

Pan threw a flurry of punches, but instead of blocking them with his hands like before, he simply moved his head and body left-to-right and back to avoid them.

 _"Something tells me he's not holding back anymore."_

He caught one of her hands, then placed his free hand in front of Pan, it charging with a gold ki. Pan covered herself with her ki, anticipating the attack, but as it struck and sent her backward, she saw her ki shield... cracking?

 _"How is that...?!"_

As she neared the ground, the ki shield shattered entirely, the remainder of the beam slamming her hard into the floor. As she slowly got back up, she saw Trunks performing a gesture of some kind with his hands, each fueled with ki.

"MASENKO!"

Pan saw the beam approaching her, but instead of panicking, she simply stood there.

 _"What is she doing?! She's going to get hit for sure!"_

But he realized she was doing the same gesture as him earlier as quickly as she could. Just as the beam was about to hit her, she pushed forward with her hands, her own ki beam striking it.

"MASENKO!"

It fired back, knocking back Trunks' and forcing him to swerve to avoid it.

He floated downward slowly, gesturing his hands in the shape of a T.

"Okay, time out!"

Pan could tell from his tone and demeanor that their spar was over.

"Where did you learn that technique? The Masenko?"

She thought on it for a moment:

* * *

First, she recalled some training with Piccolo as a child. Nothing serious, though he was trying to show her how to perform the Masenko.

"Put your hands above your head like this."

He had his hands like so, his palms facing forward, one over the other, and the fingers in opposing directions. Pan followed suit. Piccolo turned her towards a straw training dummy.

"Now just push your hands forward and shout 'Masenko.'"

Pan tried pushing forward, charging with ki.

"Masenko."

But nothing left her hand.

"It's okay. Just a little more."

The ground beneath her lightly cracked as much more ki charged.

"That's it. You're doing it, Pan."

She then shoved forward as hard as she could.

"MASENKO!"

But after firing it off, Pan was sent off her feet and sliding on the dirt on her side, the beam arcing just over the dummy into the ground behind it, leaving a small hole.

"Pan!"

Piccolo ran over to her.

"Pan, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

She saw her beginning to sniffle, then looked over at her left arm: she elbow was scraped with some red emerging from it.

"It's going to be okay. Just hold on. I'll get that treated."

He picked Pan up, putting her over his shoulder and ran to the house.

Inside, he doused a piece of cloth with a liquid antibiotic, then placed it over Pan's elbow. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as it stung.

"I know it's not pleasant, but it'll help."

As soon as he was finished, placing a band aid over her elbow, he saw that she was no longer crying.

"Tell you what, Pan: we'll try that again another time, okay?"

* * *

"I learned it from Mr. Piccolo..."

"You knew Piccolo?"

"Yeah. He was like a friend of the family. Of my..."

But she paused for a moment: Piccolo was the first one she practiced the move with.

"But I really mastered it with..."

* * *

She then recalled her father trying to help her with it when she was a few years older after her attempt with Piccolo.

"Focus. Concentrate."

Pan's hands were practically beginning to fume with ki.

"Keep it up, Pan. You're getting it."

She saw the straw dummy from before, but this time took more careful aim with her hands.

"Now!"

"MASENKO!"

Pan was pushed back a bit, but was still on her feet as the beam struck the dummy head-on. The Masenko hit it hard enough to tear its bottom out of the ground and split it in two before crashing into the ground a short distance away from it.

Gohan ran over to Pan with a look of excitement on his face.

"You did it, Pan!"

Pan laughed in joy at her accomplishment as Gohan lifted her upward and span her around. When he let her back onto the ground, she saw Piccolo looking right at her.

"Good job, kid."

She flew upward over the two of them, her fist raised in glee.

* * *

"My dad."

Trunks had then realized he had never once inquired to Pan about who her parents were.

"What was his name?"

Considering Pan knew Piccolo and his own parents, he was especially curious who her father could be at this point.

"His name... was Gohan."

Trunks' jaw dropped and his eyes enlarged before her.

"You're the daughter of Gohan?! THE Gohan?!"

Pan was baffled at his reaction.

"What? You never asked me about my parents until now."

After the shock left his face, he grinned to himself...

 _"He made it. Gohan had a family of his own."_

...then he turned to Pan.

"Do you know what this means, Pan? It means you come from one of the world's strongest warrior bloodlines."

He placed a hand over her shoulder.

"I can't wait to see your maximum potential grow even further."

* * *

Trunks and Pan headed to the industrial sector, where they both picked up ice cream cones.

"Here. It's on the house."

"I never thought I'd ever have ice cream again."

Both walked across the plaza of time, each having made good progress on their desserts.

"Let me just say that it is an honor to be training the daughter of Gohan."

She stopped for a moment and looked over at him.

"The way you talk about my dad, it sounds like he was your idol."

As much as memories of Gohan came flooding in, Trunks had control over them.

"He was my mentor. Taught me nearly everything I know. I wouldn't be where I am today if I wasn't for him."

Pan was surprised at how grateful Trunks sounded in regards to her father, or rather her father from another timeline.

"What was the Bulla like in your timeline?"

Trunks didn't have a clue what she was referring to.

"Uh, what's a Bulla?"

"Bulla, your sister."

He was completely flabbergasted at this.

"The Trunks from your timeline had a sister?!"

"Yeah. 14 years younger than you and only a year younger than me."

 _"In a more peaceful future, I had a sister... and Gohan had Pan..."_

"She was... my best friend."

He caught her pausing, realizing the Bulla she knew was gone, so he started the conversation up again.

"What was I... well, that Trunks like?"

"He was nice... though as I got older, he put a lot of time into his work at Capsule Corp."

"I worked there, huh? What was I, my mom's assistant, or...?"

"You were Capsule Corp's president."

Once again, he could barely process this.

"Like, I was wearing a suit and tie, in charge of everything at Capsule Corp?"

"Pretty much, yeah. And sometimes you'd wear glasses to look more in charge."

Considering how his world turned out, Trunks almost envied how Pan lived, but knew that all the peace time in the world didn't mean much once calamity took her entire world from her.

Pan saw she didn't have much of her ice cream left as she began chewing the cone.

"Well, I don't want to keep you waiting on me, so I'll let you get going."

She stopped eating, noticing he was starting to turn towards the gateway.

"Gotta do top secret stuff behind there?"

"Yeah, more or less."

He waved at her as he began to enter.

"See you tomorrow, Pan."

She waved back at him.

"See ya, Trunks."

He walked right through it, disappearing from her view entirely.

 _"Hopefully I'll get to see what's in there soon."_

She threw the remains of her cone into her mouth, then began trekking back to the housing area.

* * *

A cup of tea was being stirred with a spoon atop a small table as someone saw Trunks approaching.

"So Trunks... how was your day?"

Trunks approached in a pretty good mood.

"We were training when Pan showed me the Masenko, so I asked where she learned it and turns out it was from Gohan. Not just that..."

She could tell Trunks could hardly contain his excitement any further.

"Supreme Kai of Time, Pan is Gohan's daughter."

The cup of tea fell off the table, but was caught with some kind of force before it could hit the floor. Trunks could tell this news had startled her.

"Um... that's not going to be a problem, will it?"

The cup floated back into her hands.

"No. As far as we know, the areas most affected are before her birth, so no, it's not a problem. Just unexpected."

Trunks counted with his gloved hands.

"This would be, what, the second time a major player from an alternate timeline has joined the Time Patrol?"

As he said this, he realized she wasn't in the mood to discuss how he was employed. But even then, he tried to turn the conversation around.

"I mean this is good news, right? The daughter of Gohan, the granddaughter of Goku, is on our side. And her potential's only just begun to be tapped, I'm sure of it."

"She trusts you?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Does Pan trust you?"

"Well, yes. Of course. Why?"

"She may have to be on the front lines sooner than we would have liked. Just make sure Pan has zero reason to lose faith in you or the Time Patrol."

Trunks wasn't sure what she meant by this, but nodded his head all the same.

"Understood."

As he took his leave, the Supreme Kai of Time mused over this situation.

 _"Pan will either be the one we need... or she may just become another Towa."_


	8. Commander Hale's Training! A Challenger?

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan jogged over to the academy, readying herself for whatever test would be coming her way. As she stood with the others looking over at Commander Hale, holding something behind his back.

"Today, we shall begin with..."

He took out what looked like a book of some sort.

"...the Time Patrol manual."

* * *

To her surprise, today started not with physical exercises, but sitting at a desk and reading a Time Patroller manual.

 _"Now I really do feel like I'm at school again."_

Pan knew better than to skim through the pages, though it was certainly a lot of information to take in: items and their uses, timeline alterations, and long-term affects of untreated distortions.

"Class...!" Hale shouted, getting the class' attention. "Before you can be let out into the field, you must know the intricacies of our role as Time Patrollers. So then..."

He took out a piece of chalk and wrote something rapidly. Just as Pan read the two words he had jotted down...

"Pop quiz!"

Pan noticed she wasn't the only one nervous about needing to remember the materials right at that moment.

"True or false: You are permitted to kill enemies outside of the timeline."

Pan wasn't entirely sure on this, then saw someone had raised their hand.

"Pima?"

"True... because due to these enemies existing from elsewhere, their demises wouldn't alter the timeline and instead would help to restore it."

In spite of Pima's standoffish mannerisms, Pan could tell he knew his stuff when it came to patrolling.

"Correct. As long as serious enough harm does not come to those who exist in the proper timeline, then it will revert once those outside it disperse."

* * *

Shortly after their classroom session, Pan and the rest were brought back onto the track.

"It's simple: just run across the track for as long as you can."

After Commander Hale gave the signal, all of his students took off, nearly blurs.

Some patrollers were running slowly by comparison, forcing Pan to move around them in mid-run. Others seemed to be evenly paced with her, and her with them. A select few seemed to zoom past Pan and the rest of the pack with ease.

 _"Don't worry about how fast they are: just keep going."_

"Increase the gravity."

Trunks was at a console and with just an input, the gravity around the track grew.

"Ten times gravity."

Pan and the others immediately felt the area around the track becoming much heavier. She saw herself and a good chunk of the pack slowing down.

 _"Is this field like the gravity machine?"_

At this point, she wasn't sprinting so much as she was moving at a much slower pace trying to stay upright on her feet.

"Increase it again."

Pan and the other struggling members didn't like the sound of that.

 _"Again?!"_

Trunks pressed the console once more.

"25 times gravity."

Pan felt herself dragged down and put out her hand to catch herself.

 _"This... this is..."_

With a forceful shove to the ground, Pan pushed herself back upward, but while standing, she was hunched over, unable to lift her upper body.

 _"No, I can still do this..."_

She managed to lift one of her feet upward, then to the ground, and continued with the other foot. At this point, Pan was just forcing herself forward with one step at a time.

Trunks turned to Hale.

"Commander Hale. Isn't the gravity training... a bit much?"

"I won't have any of these men or women becoming casualties, Trunks... and to ensure that, they will be pushed to their brinks."

He pointed at the console.

"Another increase."

Trunks nodded and did so.

Pan and a few behind her suddenly felt themselves pushed onto the ground.

"50 times gravity."

This time, she couldn't bring herself back up.

 _"Fifty... fifty times?!"_

Hale and Trunks could see some on the field alongside Pan on the ground unable to lift themselves off the ground.

"Hale, they'll be crushed."

"Do you think I hadn't considered that?"

With a remote in his hand, Commander Hale activated fields around the lanes of the track with the fastest runners.

"Those of you still going, continue for as long as you can."

From there, the remaining lanes had the increased gravity deactivated. Hale flew down, minding the fastest runners, to make sure those who were down before were okay.

For the most part, none appeared to be seriously injured: just sore from having to endure that much gravity for less than 30 seconds. Those that were hurt were carried out of the academy to get medical attention.

Pan managed to get herself onto her hands and knees, but could barely push herself up beyond that. Hale could see this was a big push for her.

"I take it you haven't trained with gravity before..."

She lifted her hand just long enough to wipe sweat off of her forehead.

"No. And I never thought it'd be like this."

Hale flew off to check on remaining patrollers as Pan allowed herself to fall onto the ground.

"And to think I almost did 300 times..."

* * *

Pan stood on two pillars in a large room with a floor far below her. Around her were dozens of other patrollers doing the same.

Two other pillars rose to her left and right with small bars emerging on different sides. They looked like Wing Chun dummies, but much thinner and not made of wood.

"You are to stand, defend, and anticipate for as long as you can without falling onto the floor below or flying."

Pan looked over at the dummies, which would begin spinning at any moment.

"Begin."

The one to her left span clockwise, the right the opposite direction. She stopped both with her fists, then saw them stopping and turning in the opposite direction.

This time, she had to face four bars: two high enough to hit her on the head, the other two low enough to strike her knees. Pan ducked, avoiding the top two, then stopped the lower two with her wrists.

It seemed predictable enough at first until some of the bars sunk back into the dummies while new bars emerged almost immediately, some higher and lower than those before them.

 _"Just have to keep a sharp eye."_

Hale turned to Trunks.

"Faster."

Now the dummies were spinning much faster and Pan felt one bar strike her left side. She had to duck, barely spotting some spinning above her, then caught a swing on the right.

 _"They're fast. Much harder to see."_

She stood up, moving her arms to hit above her, as well as below at a faster rate than she had earlier.

 _"Just have to keep up."_

From what Hale could see, only a few had fallen off their pillars onto the padded ground below. But he also saw some patrollers almost nonchalant about the exercise thus far.

"Once more, Trunks. Faster."

For a moment, Pan could see the bars... and now she almost couldn't with how quickly they were going.

Each time she managed to strike one, she felt herself struck elsewhere, higher or lower. A successful block of the chest lead her knee to be hit, and protecting her waist led to her forehead being struck.

 _"I can barely track their movements."_

One struck her back, forcing her forward, then another tripped her right shin and Pan saw herself forced off her feet falling back-first.

"No, no, no!"

She flipped in midair, catching herself on the pillars' tops with her hands as she barely kept herself up. She looked over at Hale, whom appeared neither impressed nor disappointed.

"She didn't fall... but she still has much to master."

* * *

"No ki. No special techniques. Only basic close-quarters."

Pan had been paired with a Namekian with pinkish skin in a green and white uniform.

 _"A little short for a Namekian..."_

All the same, Pan got herself ready for the spar.

"Begin."

She moved in, then saw her way immediately blocked by this Namekian stretching his arms to block her path.

 _"Crap! I forgot all about that!"_

Even in her training with Piccolo, Pan never truly fought him in fisticuffs, let alone had to counter his arm stretch ability.

 _"Guess I have to figure out a way now."_

But this Namekian had charged at her, swinging away at her. It almost seemed predictable for Pan, who was ready to take advantage of a clear opening.

 _"Wait... I can't see his left arm!"_

She felt something grab her by her ankle and yank her to the side of him. Left stumbling after this, the Namekian ran in for a jumping kick to her stomach, knocking her further back.

As much as Pan tried to counter the ensuing onslaught of stretchy-armed strikes, she kept getting struck on her sides, leaving her exposed. Just then, she felt two hands grab her by her arms, then toss her behind the Namekian toward the barrier.

 ***ZAP!***

Unlike her spar with Trunks the night before, the barrier seemed to sting much more. As she landed on her wrists and knees, she appeared slow to get up. Before the Namekian, who didn't show a hint of exhaustion, could continue his assault, Hale deactivated the field.

"The match has been decided. Umiu wins."

As Umiu left the ring, Pan had managed to stand on her knees and lift herself up.

 _"Damn it... I wasn't done... I could still..."_

But she faced the fact that she wasn't in the best shape to finish the fight with him.

An Earthling in the stands got nervous seeing all the non-Earthlings around him.

"Wait, so you mean you guys stretching your arms isn't breaking the rules?"

"It's not a technique and it doesn't use any ki, so yeah."

He then turned to a Frieza race member, whose tail pointed at him.

"Don't forget tails."

The Earthling hunched over, utterly nervous at the prospect of being paired with one of them.

"Oh, what would Hercule Satan do?"

* * *

"It is vital for a Time Patroller to aim carefully and keep a close eye on their enemies and allies alike..."

But then Commander Hale pointed at a narrow hallway-esque maze of sorts.

"But more often than not, your enemies will not give you the opportunity to take your time. Thus, you will have to act and react quickly."

Pan stepped forward, the area of the floor she stood on rising a few feet.

"Fly through there and make it to the end as quickly as you can while hitting the proper target. Hitting any allies will result in an automatic failure."

She started floating off the ground she was standing on and tilting herself forward.

"Begin."

She flew forward and while it appeared to be clear-sailing at first, she had her eyes peeled for...

Two pop-ups appeared, in the shape of Frieza soldiers.

"There!"

She fired off two ki blasts, hitting her marks, then saw what looked like a miniature rectangular force field appeared in her path.

Pan basically screeched to a stop in midair to avoid hitting it, then flew around it. More Frieza soldier pop-ups appeared, which she was quick to dispatch. After blasting one at near-close range and flying through its remains, she saw herself about to blast a pop-up of...

"Krillin?!"

She didn't want to fail the mission and flew straight into the wall to avoid hitting it. But then she saw herself crashing into a field the Krillin pop-up had hidden from her vision.

"Just gotta pay attention! That's all!"

Pan saw herself coming up to the end of the hallway, which split into two paths, one to her left and the other her right.

"Right... it's a maze. Okay, just have to keep an eye out and I'll be at the center before I know it."

But she found that much time had passed as she still tried finding her way there. She was weary of targets popping up, not sure if they'd be enemies or allies and having to stop and check them.

"I'm taking too much time. I have to hurry!"

She tried zooming forward, but found so many fields popped up in front of her that she had to slow down or risk running into all of them.

"Where the heck am I? And where's the finish?!"

Pan had to retrace her steps, often flying through areas where she had already destroyed the enemy pop-ups around her. But at last...

"A giant floating ring?"

She saw it right before her in a tiny room: she had finally made it to the center. It looked like a portal of some sort emerged inside the ring as Pan flew closer to it.

"Let's just get this over with..."

Pan zoomed through it, then found herself back outside the maze, Commander Hale standing before her. He had a stopwatch-like device in his hand, which he clicked upon seeing Pan before him.

"7 minutes."

She wasn't sure if that was a good time or a bad time, but then saw what looked like a leaderboard of sorts on a screen nearby:

 **#1: 2:35**

 **#10: 3:00**

 **#20: 4:10**

 **#30: 4:50**

 **#40: 5:20**

 **#50: 6:40**

Pan figured there was much she could improve on the next time. But then she overheard a conversation.

"If it's just the same maze every time, I could ace it next time, right?"

"The maze changes every time someone steps in. Moves the walls and even the pop-ups."

That didn't sound too promising.

 _"Well, there went my plan."_

* * *

"Your fists may not be enough against some foes. You shall learn to utilize these weapons."

Pan saw a container filled with prop weapons: swords, bo staffs, axes, knives, pitchforks, and even fans, canes, and whips.

Since she'd only really used one melee weapon before, the choice seemed obvious to her:

 _"I mean if I did use Grandpa Goku's Power Pole, I may as well use the bo staff."_

But as she reached for it, Trunks' hand stopped her.

"Maybe next time. This session's about swords."

Trunks took one out for himself, then waited in the center of the ring as Pan retrieved one as well.

Pan had seen plenty of movies with people using swords, but she herself never used one before. The only person she knew who owned one was Yajirobe, and she was definitely never permitted to use it, let alone hold it.

But then she focused on Trunks, who awaited her approach while wielding his sword with two hands.

"Remember: no ki."

The other Time Patrol recruits watched in the stands as the two slowly made their way to each other, their prop swords about to be swung.

"Has anyone ever beaten Trunks with a sword?"

"Even without him using ki, no one has."

Hale simply crossed his arms as they saw the spar commence.

Pan swung downward at Trunks' shoulder, which Trunks side-stepped before swinging himself. She barely intercepted the sword coming at her head, then crouched down to swing at his legs. Trunks hopped over it, then swung downward at her.

Despite blocking Trunks' swing, Pan found herself knocked onto her back. She saw Trunks approaching and swung her sword to deflect as many swings as she could, but then saw her blade launched from her hands and out of her reach. At this point, there's wasn't anything Pan could do without ki as Trunks pointed the sword at her.

"Trunks wins."

"Told you: no one's beaten Trunks with a sword."

* * *

"How are you doing today?" asked Trunks, sitting across from Pan while the two ate.

"I didn't do as well as I would have liked..." answered Pan, stopping for just a moment to chew her food. "...but I know it'll take time."

Trunks was glad to hear her performance wasn't getting her down like it was the day prior.

"Believe me, Pan. The more often you work on those tests, the better you'll do at them."

* * *

Weeks had passed as Pan was in the classroom, now having a much better idea of the Time Patrol manual.

"True or false: You aren't permitted to speak to those around you in the past."

She raised her hand.

"Pan?"

"False..."

"And why is that?"

"I think you're allowed to speak with combatants for... say, strategies."

Hale smiled at her.

"That's correct. Contrary to what most believe, Time Patrollers are permitted to speak to individuals of the past..."

He did, however, turn his hand, pointing upward.

"...but it is important that they absolutely must not divulge too much about the future. Otherwise too much information may alter the timeline."

* * *

Pan ran across the track again, knowing that it would soon be...

"10 times gravity."

While still nowhere as fast when in normal gravity, Pan could keep a decent jogging pace in it. She saw that those like her that struggled with it the week before were also acclimating to it.

* * *

Even as the Wing Chun dummies span faster, Pan was starting to see that she didn't always have to directly see where the bars were spinning in order to predict their mechanisms.

Seeing this, Hale turned to Trunks, who looked over at Pan and all the others who she was keeping up with and activated switches correlating to their specific areas.

The dummies stopped spinning for just a moment as four more pillars rose around Pan: two for additional points to stand on, and two more dummies for further strikes to block and anticipate.

With how well she was doing today so far, Pan couldn't help but grin.

"Begin."

* * *

Umiu swung his stretched arms at Pan, who, this time, kept her guard up on all sides of her. She hopped over two swings aimed for her legs, then swerved to avoid a punch to her side. Two fists came down on her and she blocked them with her wrists, then, when one eluded her sight, she span and kicked in place, stopping an attack aimed for her back.

When he went for a two-handed grab, she jumped over at the last moment, then grabbed onto his wrists in mid-jump. Pan flipped over Umiu's head, then upon touching the ground, launched him in front of her.

 ***ZAP!***

He struck the barrier and landed on his feet, his arms reverting back to a normal size. It seemed like he realized his stretched arms weren't offering him an advantage at this point.

Pan saw him running right for her, throwing as many punches as he could, but she kept moving left-to-right to avoid them or redirected them with her hands. Finally, she caught one of his hands, the grip seeming to keep Umiu in place as she threw a punch right at his chest.

Umiu went sliding across the ground, his head nearly touching the barrier. He tried getting up, but had trouble lifting himself back up.

"Pan wins."

She offered a hand to Umiu, whom had worked up a sweat.

"Wow. You've improved a lot since our last bout. I'm going to have to step it up from here."

Pan had never heard him speak before, his voice much higher-pitched than she expected.

* * *

It wasn't the same maze as before, but Pan had a new strategy in mind: instead of stopping and hitting the targets, she could fly ahead and turn around so she could hit them while still on the move.

She went ahead and did this, carefully aim and fire at the enemies only while minding the fields behind her.

Pan could already tell she was saving much time than before and with a much calmer mindset, she didn't panic whenever she ran into a dead end.

"No biggie. Just retrace your steps before this point, then take the next turn."

Soon enough, the ring was in her sight and she flew through it, materializing before Hale.

"How was that?"

"4 minutes. You almost cut your last time in half."

Her time wasn't the top 20 and she could go faster next time, but for now, it was a huge improvement for her.

* * *

In her latest sword fight with Trunks, she swung her blade upward toward his face, forcing him to tilt his head to avoid it. He then clashed with her, the two standing their ground. He then swung hard enough that Pan's blade was forced toward the ground, then struck it again, sending it sliding across the ground.

 _"I've got no weapon... but I can't just give up now."_

Pan eyed Trunks' sword, then as she saw it beginning to move, swung her wrist below its handle near Trunks' hands, keeping the blade from coming down on her head.

One of the patrollers was puzzled by this and turned to Hale.

"Commander, is that allowed?"

Hale watched closely as Pan timed blocks with her wrist, keeping Trunks from swinging the sword at her.

"Yes. She's keeping the blade itself at bay while trying to get back to her weapon."

As Pan pushed Trunks back, he then crouched and launched Pan over him. She rolled across the ground, but got back onto her feet, seeing her sword just behind Trunks' position.

"She's still in it. Have you seen anyone last that long against Trunks?"

"Not in a while, I think."

Trunks saw Pan's intended target and prepared to swing his sword. Just then, he saw Pan ducking and sliding across the ground. He couldn't adjust his swing in time, just barely missing her. She grabbed her sword in one hand, then, as she saw Trunks making his move, swung her legs at his.

He saw himself falling onto his back, watching as Pan stood over him, her sword ready to strike him where he lied. The patrollers were shocked at this sight.

Just then, Trunks caught Pan's sword with his own, then tripped her with his legs, knocking her onto her side. She saw Trunks about to bring his sword down onto the ground and rolled out of the way, then swung at him. He swerved, the sword nearly touching his eye, then with a two-handed swing knocked the guarding Pan back several feet from him.

"Trunks is getting serious now."

"Yeah, he's not fooling around anymore."

Pan and Trunks looked over at each other, standing in place, as they readied their blades for what they both intended to be the final blow.

Both charged, their blades nearly touching the ground, and their arms prepared to swing at any moment.

The two zoomed past each other, their blades drawn, then stood on their knees after coming to a complete stop: it looked like both felt a sting in their side.

The other patrollers weren't sure who had won that one.

"Who won that one?"

"Is it... a tie?"

Commander Hale pulled up a virtual screen on his wrist, then scrolled back and forth on what appeared to be a video clip of the two dueling just now. He slowed the movements between their last swings, which, at normal speed, was nearly indiscernible, as if the two struck simultaneously.

As he rewound it and moved frame-by-frame he saw Trunks' sword had struck Pan just before Pan's struck him.

"Trunks wins. That's all for today."

Pan went ahead and placed her prop sword back into the box of weapons, then began to make her way to the exit.

* * *

Outside the academy, Trunks approached her.

"You did really well today, Pan."

In spite of losing to Trunks once again, she was feeling much more confident than the week prior.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

Trunks stopped in front of her.

"Don't sell yourself short. You almost had me earlier, you know."

"Sure... without ki."

"Well, when the time comes..."

"Hey!" shouted a voice from behind them.

Pan and Trunks turned to see a short girl with pink hair and a ponytail with a purple and black uniform.

"You're that new girl, right? I'm Amura..."

Her introduction was immediately followed by her pointing at Pan.

"...and I challenge you."

This was new for Pan: having someone wanting to face her. She turned to Trunks.

"Wait a second... people can issue each other challenges?"

"That's right."

Both could hear Amura clearing her throat to get their attention.

"Well... do you accept my challenge?"

Pan grinned back at her.

"I accept."

* * *

Pan and Amura approached the tournament area, Trunks looking over at his wrist and then at them.

"I have to take off, so just have a good, clean fight, okay?"

Both nodded back at Trunks, who ran off in a hurried fashion.

 _"Huh. Guess he must have more top secret stuff to do."_

From there, they stepped into the arena square, which definitely reminded Pan of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Amura laid down the ground rules:

"How about this: no ring outs and we'll stop at the knockout or when one of us gives up."

Pan stretched while Amura stood confidently.

 _"If I beat this girl, who almost beat Trunks, I'm sure to shoot up the ranks."_

"Ready?"

Pan took on a stance, then nodded back to Amura.

"Alright. Aaannnd... fight!"

The two ran into each other and clashed immediately, each unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.

Both broke it off and hopped back, with Pan flying forward quickly with a kick. Amura blocked it, but was knocked backward, landing on her hands and flipping backward to get back on her feet.

Pan ran across Amura in a circle, whom seemed less than intimidated by the technique.

"Afterimage, huh?"

Amura began charging with blue ki, then unleashed a bubble around her. The result removed all afterimages from the equation and knocked Pan backward.

"That's for beginners."

She struck at the ground with her leg, seeing no trace of Pan. When she turned around, she saw Pan coming at her, right on cue.

"Okay!"

Pan saw Amura pointing her right hand into the air pointing up and her left hand to her side...

...and Pan was unknowingly doing the exact same pose.

"What in the...?"

"Let's do this!"

Now Amura's right was pointing to her right as she shook her body, with Pan mirroring her entirely.

"How are you doing...?"

The two of them stood on their right leg, their left off the ground as they turned their bodies to point both arms towards the left.

"Right and right!"

Now they were slightly hunched over to the right, moving their bent arms up and down.

"Left and left!"

They turned in the opposite direction.

"Spin and turn...!"

They span 360 degrees clockwise, then stood on their right, their left leg up and bent and their arms to their sides.

"And a great big smile!"

This dance concluded with Amura hunched over, pointing at her mouth with both hands, which had an open-mouthed smile. Same with Pan.

 _"Please tell me this is over..."_

But as Pan pondered this, Amura flew forward at high speed, her fist striking Pan on the cheek and launching her towards the stands. Pan stopped in midair, then saw Amura flying towards her, attacking with a rapid barrage of punches.

Pan was initially dazed enough that Amura got in a few, but afterward, she began blocking them with ease before moving behind Amura to grab her from behind. She climbed up Amura's back, then stomped her back down towards the ground.

Amura stopped her descent and the two flew back to the ring, where they both fired ki projectiles at each other. Pan waited, then saw Amura jumping towards her.

"Bingo!"

Amura struck an afterimage, then caught a punch from Pan. She tossed Pan to the side, then saw several more afterimages before her. She didn't even turn around to punch Pan in the face, her hands over her nose from the impact.

"I thought you'd have learned by now..."

Pan could tell from Amura's hand gestures that she was about to perform that cursed dance again.

 _"Oh no you don't...!"_

Just as Amura placed her right hand over her head, Pan had already placed her hands towards her eyes.

"Okay!"

"Solar Flare!"

The flash went off just before Amura could start off the move again. Pan saw that she had only barely began to take on the first phase of the dance, then broke free with Amura unable to continue it.

She threw a kick, then saw that despite her current state, Amura was able to back away from it. Pan threw a punch, seeing Amura stop it with one hand while still covering herself with the other.

Catching this, Pan then threw a punch to Amura's left side, causing her to flinch just enough to land another blow. Afterward, both of Amura's arms went to work stopping Pan's offensive, even if she still didn't open her eyes.

Pan hopped back, deciding to try a different attack. She charged golden ki in both her hands.

"Masenko!"

As it struck Amura, it was instead repelled by a blue ki bubble that formed around her mid-attack. Pan saw herself being dragged backward several feet as a result of the shockwave, then saw Amura, her eyes wide open now and charging ki in her right hand. This wasn't just going to be a standard projectile.

With that in mind, Pan began cupping her hands together and gathering ki herself.

"Ka... me... ha... me..."

With a shout, Amura fired off an orange energy wave from her right hand.

"Haaaa!"

The two beams collided, neither seeming to overpower the other, though by the looks of it, the kamehameha appeared to have more power.

Slowly, it appeared that the kamehameha was going to take over.

"Only have on shot here..." Amura said begrudgingly. "Kaio-Ken!"

Amura glowed with a red aura and the energy wave from Amura's hand nearly doubled in size and power. Pan had never heard of this technique before...

 _"Kaio...?"_

...then saw her Kamehameha being swiftly overpowered.

 _"Shoooot!"_

Pan was sent flying back, being struck by both Amura's attack and her own.

Seeing Pan lying on the ground and not moving, Amura's kaio-ken expired, leaving her barely able to stand.

 _"Surely, this new girl couldn't be..."_

But Amura couldn't believe what she saw next: Pan was getting up.

There Pan was, still standing after the energy wave and her kamehameha struck her, her jacket torn to shreds to reveal her blue shirt underneath... but certainly battered and panting heavily.

 _"Okay, guess it's time for my back-up..."_

Amura wasn't much better either, as it took nearly all of her power to overpower her opponent's kamehameha. Pan noticed both her arms were down, but her right hand's index and middle fingers were out.

 _"She still has another...?"_

Pan's opponent raised her right arm, the fingers in the air as she grinned.

"Oh boy..."

A destructive white flash exploded in front of Amura, reaching high into the sky where she knew even Pan couldn't fly high enough to evade it in time.

 _"That should do it..."_

The debris began to clear.

 _"Now... where are you?"_

Amura looked up, then down, not seeing Pan in her direction. She then turned around, not seeing Pan behind her either. She almost began to get nervous that her move worked too well.

 _"Oh, please don't tell me... that move actually..."_

Just then, Amura heard a muffled sneeze behind her.

"Hey!"

She turned around throwing a punch... and still no sign of Pan.

"How did you...?!"

She turned around again, seeing Pan as clear as day. Without a moment of hesitation, Amura fired off two beams, one from each hand.

"Didn't dodge that one, now did y...?"

Pan was still standing, almost like the beams hadn't even phased her. In fast, she looked untouched.

"There's no way..."

This time, Amura fired off a simple ki bullet, one which phased right through Pan.

"You were never there. That was..."

* * *

Amura thought back towards the beginning of the match:

"Afterimage, huh? That's for beginners."

After she had foiled her initial attempt at the afterimage technique.

"I thought you'd have learned by now..."

After she had struck Pan from behind before using her dancing technique a second time.

But when she thought about what she used after their beam struggle, her seeing Pan appearing nervous before she unleashed it.

"Oh boy..."

Amura saw the white wave flashing from the ground up and looking back, it almost looked like...

...Pan was winking at her: she wasn't standing there when the attack hit.

* * *

Amura turned, then saw too late that Pan was running right for her.

With a punch to the gut, Amura was launched out of the ring and rolling across the ground. Had this been the World Martial Arts Tournament, she would have been rung out then and there.

However, Pan hopped downward, walking slowly as Amura struggled to get up. Pan wasn't about to hit her when she was down and instead stood waiting to see if her opponent wished to continue.

Amura spat on the ground, a small amount of blood in her saliva, then stood up on her knees, looking over at Pan, who still seemed battle ready even now.

"Just one minute please..."

Pan wasn't sure if Amura had a trick up her sleeve or if she actually did need a moment to get back up after the blow she was dealt. But she eyed Amura, whom finally made it back to her legs, though it looked like she could barely move them.

"Are you alright, Amura?"

Her opponent put a hand out in front of her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good."

She looked down at the ground for just a moment.

 _"Can I really keep going? After that?"_

Pan could hear Amura taking a deep breath, then looking back up at her.

"You win this one, Pan."

* * *

Pan helped Amura out of the arena onto a bench just outside the tournament area.

"And here, I figured you for an easy mark to get up the rankings. No, not even close. That was an entirely different animal."

Pan sat down next to her.

"Well, you definitely had to make me work for it, Amura."

Amura noticed Pan's jacket was barely together, save for the back and sleeves.

"I'm really sorry about your jacket."

"No biggie."

Pan took what was left of her jacket off and wrapped the sleeves around her waist.

"Tell you what, Pan..."

Amura reached for something in her gi, then handed it to Pan.

"Here. I want you to take this. You earned it."

Pan saw something familiar in the palm of her hand...

* * *

"Mrs. Bulma... what's up there?"

A young Pan was pointing at a decorative table with a glass covering.

"Here. Let me show you, Pan."

Bulma lifted Pan upward, whom could see various items under the glass covering: something that looked like a cross between a watch and a compass with a green screen on the left, a rice cooker that appeared water-damaged on the right, and in the middle...

"What's that?"

Pan pointed to a orange-gold orb sitting atop a red cushion between the other two items. She noticed something on its surface.

"It has stars on it."

She counted on her fingers.

"One, two, three... four. Four stars!"

Bulma placed Pan down, then pushed a button on the table, opening the glass cover. She picked up the orb, crouched down in front of Pan and handed it to her.

"It's a Dragon Ball."

Pan was completely mesmerized by the stars on it.

"This used to belong to your grandpa Goku. In fact, it was thanks to this Dragon Ball that I met him."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your grandpa Goku was just a small boy watching over the Dragon Ball in his grandpa's house when I... bumped into him for the first time."

Bulma placed her hand out to indicate she wanted the Dragon Ball back. Pan slowly returned it back to her, then watched Bulma put it back.

"Now we keep this here as a reminder of him. Of when the adventure first began..."

* * *

Pan couldn't believe it: the four-star dragon ball in her hands once again.

"Where did you get this?"

"Won this from another patroller about a week ago," answered Amura. "Wanted to get the whole set."

"The whole set?"

Amura could tell Pan didn't know everything there was to know about the Dragon Balls, but she didn't want to act condescending towards her.

"There are seven Dragon Balls in total. From the one star to the seven star."

"And... what happens when you get all seven?"

"You can use them to make a wish to Shenron."

"I thought..."

Pan stumbled at the concept.

"I thought that Dragon Ball was just a sacred ornament."

But then she just realized what she could use them for.

"What can you wish for?"

"Nearly anything..." answered Amura, though Pan noticed she paused for a moment. "...But the thing is, as Time Patrollers, we do have rules on what we're allowed to wish for. Guess the boss doesn't want us asking for something too big."

As always since she first arrived in Toki Toki City, it seemed that every chance Pan saw to have her home and family back was impossible to grant.

"But hey..."

Amura pat Pan on the shoulder.

"You beat me fair and square, so I wanted you to have it. I wouldn't even know what to wish for anyway."

She got up from the bench and appeared to be walking just fine on her own now.

"Be seeing you around, Pan."

Pan waved as Amura left for the industrial area, then, to her surprise, saw that Toki Toki City's sky began to become covered in grey clouds.

 _"I guess even places at the edge of the universe have their rainy days."_

She looked back over at the tournament area, umbrellas being put up over the stands.

"Hey, I recognize you..."

Pan turned to the source of the voice and saw a man who was nearly bald save for some spiked purple hair wearing a light green and black formal uniform.

"You know me?" inquired Pan.

"Name's Cloke. I saw you here weeks ago. When you first came here. You were in really bad shape. Looked partially frozen all over."

"You mean when they found me?"

"Found you? You were summoned here."

Pan didn't understand.

"Summoned? But how?"

Cloke pointed over at the altar.

"The Dragon Balls."

She just learned from Amura that wishes could be granted by gathering all seven, and she could tell by the openings on the altar that this was the place to do so.

She then thought back to when she was in space that day, suddenly being taken by a light into another dimension. A dimension of time. And that voice she could barely comprehend...

"Someone... from... far away... Warrior! Now..."

But it was like she could suddenly hear it clearly now.

"Someone summons you from a land far away... brave warrior! Now, come forth!"

She realized then and there that she wasn't randomly found, but brought here specifically. Now she had just one burning question on her mind.

"Who summoned me?"

Cloke could tell from her tone that she wasn't going to be happy with the answer one bit, but sighed as he couldn't bring himself to lie to her.

* * *

There Cloke was nearly two weeks ago at his post by the tournament when he saw someone in a coat approaching the altar, seven dragon balls in his arms. He thought nothing of it initially, seeing as how plenty of patrollers had made wishes.

The sky went dark as Shenron emerged from the altar and looked down at the one who had summoned him.

"State your wish."

This person didn't keep him waiting.

"I need someone, a strong ally with the power to help me defend time itself. This wish I ask of you."

Shenron's eyes glowed a brighter red.

"Your wish is granted."

In all his time, Cloke had never heard anyone wish for another person before. And even from that distance, he could tell whose voice he heard...

* * *

"It was Trunks."

Lightning struck.

Pan could barely stand. In fact, she felt sick to her stomach. Cloke could see then and there that it was not the news she wanted to hear.

"Madam, I'm..."

She could only put her hand out.

"Please... just stop..."

She slowly walked away from the tournament area towards the housing area. She needed time to take in all of this...

"Hey, Pan."

She turned, seeing Trunks waving at her from nearby. But then Trunks saw Pan's distraught face and put down his hand.

"...Pan?"

She turned and ran away from him.

"Pan!"

Trunks turned toward Cloke, whose face couldn't hide what had transpired.

"What did you say to her?"

Cloke looked down, unable to speak. Trunks already had a feeling what he told her.

"Oh no..."

Trunks ran in Pan's direction as rain began to pour down onto Toki Toki City. He managed to catch up to her as she neared her housing unit. She could hear him behind her and stopped at her door.

"Pan..."

She didn't make a sound or even move as she waited for him to talk.

"Pan, please let me explain..."

Once she turned around, he couldn't think of another word to say.

"You summoned me here... and you kept that from me."

Trunks couldn't even process a defense for himself. He just stumbled through the first thought he could think of.

"I... I didn't lie to you..."

She pointed at him, just shy of poking him in the face.

"You kept the truth from me! You fed me half-truths! And for what?! So I could become your naive personal assistant?!"

 _"But if I hadn't summoned her, she would have died. Pan's alive... because of me."_

Trunks' nervousness suddenly transformed into brashness.

"I saved your life! And if it wasn't for me changing the future, you would never have been born!"

Lightning struck again.

He realized right then and there that he had given away something critical... something that jeopardized everything.

Pan didn't even register his shock: only his words.

"...and that's supposed to make it better?"

The lone angry tear on Pan's face told him he had made a grave error.

"You got to change the future, but I can't?!"

She turned away from him and began to open the door.

"I was wrong: the Trunks I knew is dead."

She entered and began to close the door even as Trunks put his hand out for her to stop.

"Like you should have left me."

By the time Trunks tried to reach her, the door was closed. He knew no amount of knocking or pleading would get Pan to come out now.

 _"Damn it!"_

He turned around and fell onto his knees, his legs soaked from a puddle.

 _"Damn it all! What have I done?! You idiot!"_

He could only make his hands into fists.

 _"I did this! I should have told her before! This is all my fault!"_

He got up and walked away, his head down and tears clearly visible going down his cheeks.

 _"I'm so sorry, Pan. Please forgive me."_

* * *

Inside her housing unit, Pan sat with her back against her door, trying in vain to keep it together as her head fell onto her knees.

"Why did you keep this from me? I trusted you, Trunks... I trusted you!"

* * *

Much time passed as Trunks couldn't bring himself to find cover from the rain even as he was drenched.

"This... this is all my..."

He suddenly realized the rain wasn't touching him anymore and saw a large umbrella top over him.

"Trunks..."

He looked down and saw the Supreme Kai of Time covering herself and Trunks with the umbrella.

"What are you doing out here?"

He could barely look her in the eyes.

"I did it. I've jeopardized everything."

He crouched over, his hands over her eyes as the Supreme Kai of Time placed her free hand over his shoulder.

"I... I hurt her. I hurt Pan."


	9. Pan's Decision! An Emergency Situation!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

"You may be half-Saiyan, but you still could've caught a cold out there."

The Supreme Kai of Time checked up on Trunks in her quarters. He sat up in a chair in a different set of clothes and with a blanket wrapped around him.

"If you'd like, I can make you a hot chocolate."

Trunks stuck his hand out of the blanket, trying to hide any semblance of panic at the concept of her making something for him to eat or drink.

"No, that won't be necessary... but thanks."

Afterward, he put his hand back under: he was still shivering somewhat.

"Trunks, I just want to understand why you were walking around in the rain for that long. Why didn't you just came back here?"

"Because I felt terrible for what I did, okay?!"

"You should know better than to..."

"I didn't care!"

After a pause between the two, Trunks took his hand out again to wipe something from under his eye.

"I was careless. I didn't even think. I didn't tell Pan the truth... and then I had the gall to act like she owed me.

He put his head down, sighing.

"I ruined everything."

The Supreme Kai of Time walked up to him, using her hand to nudge Trunks' head up by the chin so she could look him in the eyes. She smiled at him.

"It's all going to be okay, Trunks."

* * *

In her housing unit, Pan lied on her bed without covers, not even having changed her clothes from the day before. Even though her day was starting, she didn't have the will to get up.

With it still raining outside like it was hours earlier, all she could think about was what transpired.

 _"From the moment I recovered, you were the one friend that I had. The one piece of my home I still had..."_

She turned over onto her side, looking over at a wall.

 _"You said I was found... and that Time Patrollers could not change the future no matter what..."_

But then she thought back to what Cloke told her.

"You were summoned here. It was Trunks."

And then what Trunks told her.

"If it wasn't for me changing the future, you would never have been born!"

She reached for her covers, then pulled them up over her body.

 _"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep that from me?"_

"I was your friend."

Getting up wasn't a concern. Neither was eating breakfast or going to the academy. At this point, Pan didn't want to take care of herself. She closed her eyes, not wanting to be awake.

* * *

At the academy, Commander Hale and Trunks went about their routines in spite of the student they both noticed was missing.

As far as the rest of the class was concerned, Pan was sick. It wasn't irregular for patrollers not to show up every now and then, be it from injuries or any plethora of ailments.

But as the last of the exercises wrapped up and Hale let everyone leave, he approached Trunks.

"Might we talk in my office?"

* * *

Inside his office, Hale stood while Trunks sat.

"We both know Pan was physically able to be here today. No illnesses that we knew of."

Trunks was getting irritated, already knowing the point that had been ringing in his head since earlier that day.

 _"Damn it, does everyone have to remind me of my mistake?!"_

Hale turned, seeing Trunks almost snarling with his teeth. Not at him, but clearly angry about something.

"Is something the matter, Trunks?"

Trunks realized what he was doing and calmed himself down.

"You told me not to delay telling Pan the truth about how I brought her here... and I waited too long."

Hale sat down to be at Trunks' eye level.

"You gave me the best course of action and I neglected it."

"You've acknowledged your error in the past, Trunks, but you must focus on what you can do now."

"But what can I do? For all I know, Pan's through being a Time Patroller... and through with me."

Hale turned back for just a moment, then a thought occurred to him.

"How long does she have?"

Trunks looked over at his wrist.

"...not long."

* * *

Even now at what felt like night time to Pan, it was still pouring outside. She had kept herself isolated the entire day with only her thoughts.

She thought back to her conversation with Trunks the first day she woke up.

"But what if someone was trying to stop something bad from happening in a timeline? Like... if I went back to stop Frieza. If he never gets to my timeline's Earth, then my family and home would be saved!"

"I'm sorry, Pan, but using time travel is forbidden, even if it is for good intentions."

Thinking on it now, it sounded hypocritical coming from Trunks.

The fact that time could be changed... that Trunks had changed it in the past... and that it was attainable...

But how?

Just then, a thought.

 _"The Plaza of Time... nearby was..."_

She recalled the tournament area, where she fought Amura, but that wasn't what Pan was looking for. But past it, before the housing area...

 _"The gateway! That's it! It has to be behind there!"_

She finally willed herself out of bed, donning the attire from her home. As she retrieved her grandfather's Power Pole, she began to realize the risk.

 _"They'll try to stop me. Trunks... and the Time Patrol."_

But as Pan held the four star Dragon Ball in her hand, her mind was already made up.

 _"The chance to change the past... save my home... and my family, is here... and I'm going to take it!"_

Lightning struck outside.

* * *

The rain had begun to die down as Pan exited from her housing unit, though the dark clouds still hung over Toki Toki City. It seemed like not that many people were around at this time.

She tried keeping a low profile despite the Power Pole and its case on her back. Pan caught no glances from anyone, or at least none that meant any cause for alarm. Finally, she arrived in the Plaza of Time and to her right...

 _"The gateway."_

An older Time Patroller with a bald head and white beard sat nearby it in a chair under an umbrella. Pan stood behind a wall looking over at him starting to doze off.

 _"Just him. No one else around. Now to sneak past."_

Pan stepped forward one step at a time, minding the noise she made and keeping an eye out for any puddles. So far...

"Huh!?"

The man began to wake up from his doze, then looked in front of him. He turned his gaze to the left, Pan slowly moving around him to avoid being seen. Now there she was right behind, trying to stay still and not breathe, lest he heard her.

But she saw him starting to lie back in his chair again, his head lowering as she began to hear him snoring.

 _"Phew."_

Pan saw the gate right there in front of her, just a few steps away.

 _"Just have to go through and..."_

As Pan walked through it, a sound emerged from the gateway.

 _"Crap!"_

This patroller woke up entirely, jumping out of his seat after he heard the sound and saw only a flash of Pan entering through before disappearing. He brought his wrist up to his face and pressed a button to activate a communicator.

"Supreme Kai of Time... are you expecting a visitor? Because someone just came through here."

"Orange bandanna?"

"Yes."

"It's fine. I'll take care of it, Ziko."

* * *

After going through the gateway, Pan saw herself in a massive round room with a field of grass. To her left, a body of water stopped by stones. To her right, a small round house.

 _"No, it couldn't be in there."_

From above, it looked like...

 _"It's like a bird cage..."_

"Toh!"

Pan looked up and saw a large white owl, one that looked like it had eyebrows and a long beard. She tried to stay still, seeing what it would do next.

 _"Please tell me he's not their guard animal."_

The two stared down each other for the longest time until finally, this owl descended down from its perch towards her, screeching...

"Ki!"

She ran across the tiled floor, trying to find where to go next.

 _"This is bad! They probably know I'm here with that bird making that racket! Where...?!"_

Pan saw a building ahead of her. Something like a cross between a temple and a library.

 _"It's there! It has to be! I have to hurry!"_

Using as much of her speed as she could muster, she ran to this building. She saw a large door in front of her and pulled on its handle as hard as she could. It was heavy... extremely so, and the bird was catching up to her.

"Come on, come on!"

As she began to sweat pulling it, it was now open just enough for her to squeeze through. She did so, then as the bird nearly reached her, she pulled it back with all her might to keep it from her.

"Toh! Ki! Toh! Ki!"

The bird screeched from outside, which Pan was sure meant her time alone was going to be short.

 _"With that bird making all that noise, they'll be onto me any minute now."_

Pan ran through various rooms, trying to find anything close to what she was looking for.

 _"Nothing in here... nothing there!"_

She began to have doubts. That perhaps she may not find anything. That she would be caught before she would come close.

 _"Wait... THERE!"_

A massive round room. She came across a stairway down. She made her way down to an octagonal table, which had a scroll on top of it.

 _"That scroll right there..."_

Pan stretched it out on the table and saw...

 _"That's..."_

"My past."

She saw herself in the World Martial Arts Tournament fighting Goten. She placed her hand on the image, then saw that with a wave of the hand, it began moving forward...

"GOTEEEN!"

Then there she was hearing her father cry out his younger brother's name as Golden Frieza broke Goten's neck with ease.

She waved her hand to the left as rapidly as she could, trying to get away from that moment and then saw herself sparring with her grandmother the day before the tournament.

 _"I still have no idea how this works, but maybe if I keep scrolling back... maybe when I'm younger... I can warn everyone. Maybe with enough training, they'll be strong enough to fight him..."_

Pan then began to ponder just how far she could go.

 _"...or could I go back to before I was born? Find Frieza and stop him from ever arriving on Earth in the first place."_

But then she realized...

 _"Wait... my scroll being out here in the open... that's too convenient... as if..."_

"I had a feeling you'd be coming here..."

Pan turned around, seeing a short-sized woman with pink skin in purple attire approaching her.

"...so I picked that out for you."

 _"Damn it, I should've known...!"_

This woman put out her hand to Pan.

"I'm the Supreme Kai of Time."

Pan was starting to see that this woman's tone and mannerisms were not that of someone about to punish her. Meanwhile, the Supreme Kai of Time saw her handshake had not been returned yet.

"Pan, I know what you're going through... better than you'd think..."

"Then explain one thing to me: why did you allow Trunks to change the future?"

Chronoa knew this question was coming from the moment she had planned this.

"Very well, Pan."

With a teal glow emanating from her fingertips, the Supreme Kai of Time began forming an image of what looked to Pan like a rocket ship.

"Trunks and his mother were the first to have time traveled, as well as the first to have altered the main timeline. By the time I had noticed it, what was done was done."

"So Trunks got a freebie, is that it?"

While she could tell this answer didn't please Pan one bit, she explained further.

"Their time machine wasn't perfect. It created rifts... several alternate timelines. One which allowed a bio-android to invade the main timeline as well."

Pan knew what bio-android she was referring to.

"Cell."

"That's right. Trunks had inadvertently unleashed him and despite trying to stop Cell, was killed."

This fact shook Pan to the core.

"Trunks was... killed?"

"He was, but was resurrected by the Dragon Balls before returning back to his future, which was now a parallel timeline. That was when I had to intervene."

The image between the Supreme Kai of Time's hands began to shift, turning into a large line with dozens, maybe hundreds branching off of it.

"The discovery of time travel invited challenge. Without anyone to stop it going forward, it would threaten the entire universe itself. Thus, the Time Patrol was created, Trunks the first among them as penance for what he did."

Earlier this day, Pan had tried to run away and go back to her home, but now there she was being talked out of it by this woman.

"You're here talking to me when you could've just let me go through with what I was about to do."

The Supreme Kai of Time turned away from Pan for a moment.

"If you had tried to change history, we would have had to intervene, and you'd have been forced to suffer through that event a second time. I wanted to avoid that as much as possible."

Pan couldn't have even imagined what she would've done if she had to see her world destroyed again, this time with someone stopping her from saving it.

"...and now I have to ask for your help, both to protect time... and to save yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid your very existence is at stake."

A new image emerged from her hands, this time of a large line with dozens of smaller ones breaking off from it.

"Pan, you are born in various timelines, including the main timeline which all the others you are born in stem from. And should that timeline be altered..."

The large line appeared to become distorted, then as it gradually disappeared, so did the others.

"...I'm never born and I cease to exist."

"Both your life and time itself is threatened by this."

She could tell from the Supreme Kai of Time's tone that it was serious, but even then...

"Why send me? You already have hundreds of others that could take this mission."

"The Time Patrol is spread as thin as it can be. And the recruits aren't ready for the field yet."

"And I am? I'm in the 10s. There's Saiyans here with more power in their pinkies than..."

The Supreme Kai of Time pointed at her.

"Don't put yourself down! You are the granddaughter of Goku!"

But then she lowered her arm and reveal a scroll in her other hand.

"And he needs your help."

Pan slowly took the scroll from the Supreme Kai of Time's hand, then opened it, revealing...

* * *

 **Age 756**

Goku facing Piccolo in what looked like a barren wasteland at a glance. Both looked clearly exhausted when a purple energy flowed through Piccolo's body and his eyes turned a glowing red. The Namekian grinned...

And in a flash, Piccolo quickly overwhelmed and overpowered Goku, breaking one of his legs and his arms. He picked Goku up by his newly crippled arm and punched him in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood.

He then tossed Goku into the air, cackling maniacally before firing a massive golden beam from his mouth, one far larger than Goku's body.

It struck Piccolo's intended target dead-on and Pan didn't have to let the scroll finish to know what fate lied in store for her grandfather in this alteration to the main timeline.

* * *

Pan closed the scroll, not wanting to see what happens from that point on.

"If my grandpa's been killed, then my dad's never born, and I..."

She looked at her hand to see any signs of anything happening to her, but she looked the same and didn't physically feel any different.

"But then how am I still here?"

"The effect has yet to transfer to the rest of the timeline, but given time, it will reach the point of your birth." answered the Supreme Kai of Time. "And then it will be too late for you."

But something else didn't add up to Pan: why would Piccolo kill her grandfather?

"Someone's controlling Piccolo, right? They have to be possessing him to do this."

The Supreme Kai of Time sighed.

"I'm afraid there's a lot you don't know about your family and friends. Piccolo as just one example."

She began forming images of past events in her hands.

"Piccolo's father was Demon King Piccolo, an evil Namekian who wreached havoc on Earth before being sealed away by Master Roshi's master. Centuries later, he was freed from his imprisonment, made a wish on the Dragon Balls for eternal youth, and briefly took over Earth, but was stopped by Goku."

She remembered when she asked Piccolo about where he came from long ago.

* * *

"My father was from space. A planet called Namek."

"And where is your dad?"

* * *

"Before he died, King Piccolo spit out an egg, which contained Piccolo Jr... the Piccolo you know."

Pan could never have imagined that Piccolo's father was an evil being, let alone that Piccolo could come from one.

"Early on in his life, Piccolo initially intended to avenge his father's death and take over the Earth. And it seems whoever is interfering with history is trying to help him succeed."

The Supreme Kai of Time could tell Pan could barely believe anything she was being told, like her whole world was being torn asunder.

"Pan, many of your grandfather's friends, including Piccolo, once began as his enemies, but over time and through his actions, they changed. And some time after this, Piccolo changed for the better as well."

But now Pan had hardened her resolve.

"But for now, I have to fight him. Keep him from killing my grandfather."

"You got it, Pan. Now let's get you goi... oh, almost forgot."

She handed Pan what looked like a tiny earpiece.

"This allows you and I to communicate with each other telepathically so that no one else can hear us."

"...so you can hear all my thoughts?"

"Only on missions. And it'll all stay strictly confidential."

Pan looked over at the Supreme Kai of Time with a doubtful look.

"Now why would I give out your information?"

"Fine. Can I get going now?"

"Yes, now..."

Pan gripped the scroll again when the Supreme Kai of Time pointed right at her.

"Wait, wait!"

"What?"

Pan saw that the Supreme Kai of Time was pointing at something behind her.

"The Power Pole!"

"What about it?"

"You should know that weapons aren't allowed in the World Martial Arts Tournament! Even the older ones!"

"Oh."

Pan handed the power pole and its case over to her.

"Anything else?"

"Just remember what the handbook says, okay?"

"Okay."

From there, Pan stood, grasping the scroll in her hand, then closing her eyes as a familiar sound overtook her:

The same sound from the day she was nearly killed, which she now recognized as her traveling through time itself.

* * *

Back in Age 756, Piccolo stood after having unleashed his attack that destroyed the World Martial Arts Tournament arena. With no sign of Goku, he was cackling in victory, his arms raised high.

"I have won."

Krillin, poking his head out from cover saw no signs of his fellow colleague...

"Goku!"

Piccolo's eyes shot up: Goku was still standing, his arms covering himself and with only some bruising to show for it.

"Surprised to see me, Junior?"

"You're... but that's impossible! You should be...!"

"Goku's alive!"

All of the friends and members of the Z-Fighters rooted for Goku as Piccolo backed up a few steps, clearly nervous at the prospect of his opponent being alive and well.

Goku got ready to return the favor.

"Alright. Let's finish this."

He charged with energy to Piccolo's surprise, who seemed terrified at this point.

"Oh no. This is really gonna hurt...!"

"A lot."

Goku charged at him, but as he was about to strike Piccolo with his elbow, something changed: Piccolo became overcome with the purple aura and managed to block Goku's strike with his palm.

"...for you," grinned Piccolo.

He pushed Goku back several feet with just one hand, then when Goku ran back in, appeared to be stopping his attacks with hardly any effort.

"How is that possible?!" exclaimed Krillin. "Junior was panicking and on the ropes earlier and now it's like he's totally fresh."

Goku gripped Piccolo's hands with his own, trying to overpower him, but already began falling to one of his knees.

 _"This isn't good..."_

Piccolo broke the clash, hopped backward, then dashed forward as Goku looked over at him partially in panic before receiving an elbow to the face.

This struck with tremendous force, as it looked like Goku was going to be sent out of the ring. Kami couldn't believe what he was seeing.

 _"Has Piccolo truly...won?"_

A strange sound...

He and everyone else all looked over at the center of the ring to see what looked like a white silhouette in Goku's path.

It shortly revealed itself to them to be a young woman with an orange headband in a blue shirt, light purple pants, and dark purple fingerless gloves and shoes.

"Who is...?" asked Krillin.

Piccolo was certainly surprised to see this as well.

"Huh?"

Pan looked at her hand, seeing the scroll was no longer there.

"Okay, now to just find my..."

She turned and saw her grandfather flying backward right towards her.

 ***CRASH!***

Everyone was absolutely puzzled: someone had just gone into the ring and had gotten in Goku's way, and due to that, the intended ring out was prevented.

"That girl..." began Krillin. "She stopped Goku from being rung out."

Despite how honorable that sounded, Pan had taken the brunt of Goku's impact by complete accident as the two lied near the ring's edge, lying on the ground.

"Owww!" went Goku, gripping his head before turning to see Pan, who had her hands on her stomach. "Wait... who the heck are you? And what are you doing here?! This is my fight!"

Pan looked over and saw her grandfather in the flesh, about her age.

But as for his comment, she couldn't come up with any answer to the question that wouldn't result in her telling him about the future. Instead, she was struck by the first words she had ever heard from her legendary grandfather sounding somewhat ungrateful.

 _"Yeah, you're welcome, grandpa."_

 _"Pan..."_ started the Supreme Kai of Time in her head. _"Your grandfather is... well, a complicated person. Plus, you have to realize we're interfering with a one-on-one tournament."_

 _"How are we not already changing history doing this?!"_ asked Pan.

 _"As long as we restore the correct outcome by Goku's hands, everything will be fine."_

As Pan looked around while she and the Supreme Kai of Time conversed, she looked over at the others hiding in a square hole outside the ring. She had seen old pictures of how everyone looked back in their younger days and there they were, clear as day to her.

Her grandmother was a young woman with pure black hair. Despite Pan intercepting Goku's possible ring out, Chi-Chi was suspicious of her.

 _"Just who is that girl with the bandanna? She better not try anything funny with Goku!"_

Yamcha and Tien were both much younger with the former having black hair in a ponytail and Tien with a bald head and clean shaven, as well as with a fresh scar in his chest.

"Whoever she is, I hope she's on our side, Yamcha."

"I don't know... I mean it seems to me she didn't mean to stop Goku."

Launch was in a red dress behind Tien, not a trace of grey in her blonde hair.

"If she's with us, I sure hope she's tougher than she looks."

Bulma, her hair much longer, was in an indigo outfit next to Yamcha pondering about the whole situation.

 _"How did she get here? And why?"_

Kami, someone whom Pan didn't know or even recognize, looked over at Pan, then back to Piccolo.

"I think someone is trying to interfere with this fight... but not just her."

Roshi still looked about the same to Pan, though he had on sunglasses and a black suit. He also looked closely at Goku's opponent.

"The very attack that destroyed this arena used up much of Junior's energy. For all accounts, he was frightened at Goku's survival and could barely react to his approach... but something or someone has revitalized him."

Goku had overheard this.

"You mean that Junior is cheating?!"

Piccolo cackled after hearing this.

"Don't be so sore from me beating you. And be thankful I'm giving you time to get up before I destroy you."

He then turned to Pan and pointed at her.

"But as for you... leave the ring, now."

Goku finally stood and got back into a fighting stance as he and Piccolo both noticed Pan not moving.

"Did you not hear me, girl, or do you have a death wish?"

Her grandfather looked at her with concern.

"Even if Junior is using a dirty trick, you're going to get hurt. Get out of here."

Pan didn't say anything back to him and instead took on a martial artist stance. She tried hard to ensure it didn't resemble that of anyone he knew, so, for the time being, her stance looked like that of her mother's.

Goku thought over the whole situation: Piccolo suddenly regaining his composure and power, this girl that was there next to him in the ring, and Kami and Roshi's suspicions of interference from someone or something.

 _"I'd prefer this to be one-on-one... but if Junior's using someone else for power, then I guess having someone at my side should even things out."_

He turned to her, this time with a smile.

"Alright then. Let's do this."

In spite of his attitude earlier, with the power at his fingertips, Piccolo was indifferent to the situation.

"Don't want to leave? No matter. I'll just kill you both."

Pan tried to remain calm and composed, but this was her first mission, and it was against Piccolo, someone who had babysat and cared for her since she was a baby... yet vastly different from the Piccolo she knew growing up.

 _"Piccolo..."_


	10. Pan's First Mission! Vicious Piccolo Jr!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

There Pan stood in the wasteland-like remains of the World Martial Arts tournament grounds, save for the square shape of the ring. Her grandfather, a young man about her age, stood to her right and Piccolo, whom everyone here referred to as Junior, in front of her.

Even as the battle was about to take place, and even with everything she had read from the Time Patrol manual, she was still processing everything...

 _"Pan, you're in the field now,"_ stated the Supreme Kai of Time. _"Everything rests on your shoulders. You've got to stay focused."_

She began to recompose herself.

 _"Alright."_

She watched Piccolo like a hawk, whose feet began moving.

 _"If there's one advantage you have, Pan, it's that Piccolo's laser-focused on Goku."_

Sure enough, Piccolo made his move towards Goku, just as Pan had counted on. Their left wrists clashed, along with their right knees.

The two were now trading kicks and punches quickly, neither managing to land a successful blow as of yet. Goku watched the two clashing in front of him.

 _"She didn't have to do that... but wow. This girl's managing to keep up with him."_

The Z-Fighters were also amazed at this as Master Roshi's gaze was hidden behind his sunglasses.

 _"Whoever this young lady is, human or otherwise, must be well-versed in martial arts to be standing her ground against Junior."_

But as she clashed with Piccolo, Pan caught her mind wandering through memories.

 _"No, no, not now!"_

* * *

There Pan was, four years old, sparring with Piccolo. She was trying as hard as she could to hit him while Piccolo was clearly feigning, swinging his arms halfheartedly and letting Pan slip past his guard.

"I'm gonna beat you, Mr. Piccolo."

Piccolo, smiling, covered his face with his arms.

"What? I am being defeated?"

Her punches hardly affected him, but he played it off like he couldn't stand them.

"You better look out."

He cowered.

"Oh no, this can't be..."

Piccolo pretended to fall over onto his back as Pan's fist was aimed right at him. He raised his hands upward.

"You win, Pan. Have mercy."

* * *

And in that moment, Pan realized as she was thinking of that memory of play-fighting with Piccolo, she had began striking with less force.

"What's this?" asked Piccolo. "Pulling your punches on me?"

In spite of her gesture, he struck hard with his left arm, which Pan barely blocked with both arms.

"You dare to underestimate me?!"

Pan just realized she was only stopping one of his arms.

"You brat!"

A punch from his right hand slammed Pan into the ground.

"Junior!" shouted Goku, getting Piccolo's attention.

With a blast of air creating by thrusting his fist forward, Piccolo was partially knocked back.

"Come and get me!"

From there, the two stood their grounds, charging with electricity-like ki, Goku's red and Piccolo's blue.

Pan, starting to get up, realized the side of her lip was bloodied by that punch.

 _"What happened, Pan?"_ inquired the Supreme Kai of Time. _"I told you before this that Piccolo's a villain here."_

She looked over at Goku and Piccolo clashing, almost appearing to be surrounded by orbs of electricity.

 _"I know Piccolo was there for you growing up, but if you don't fight him seriously, he'll kill you if he gets the chance."_

Pan could now see that Goku's field was beginning to weaken due to him having used much of his energy throughout the fight.

"Oh, Goku..." taunted Piccolo. "You can barely even stand against me now."

The other Z-Fighters saw the clash going in Piccolo's favor, as well as Pan wiping the blood on her lip with her gloved hand before...

"Hey..." went Krillin. "Where did she go?"

She had vanished from their sight. Even Piccolo took notice of this while overpowering Goku. But then Goku caught him grinning.

"This girl won't save you now..."

He pushed Goku back with left hand while his right reached behind him...

Grabbing Pan by the back of her head. Goku quickly got back to his feet and rushed Piccolo for an attack, only to see him turning around, holding Pan off the ground in front of him. This gave him some bad deja-vu of when he faced Demon King Piccolo, who took Tien hostage.

 _"Damn it..."_ thought Goku. _"I knew this was going to happen."_

Confident, Piccolo cackled away.

"I knew it: you really do care for these pathetic weaklings... even one that interrupts our match."

He began to charge his left hand for an attack.

"I wonder what'll take longer: you being blasted to pieces, or this whelp's head being crushed in my..."

Pan had enough. Both her hands charged with ki as she aimed them behind her, blasting Piccolo's chest. He began to lose his grip for a moment, lowering her just enough to stomp on his foot.

Freed entirely, she struck him on the chin, causing him to stumble backward. Before she could follow up, she saw Piccolo's eyes glow red, then saw a beam firing from them.

 _"Oh crap!"_

She ducked as Goku hopped over it, then kicked Piccolo in the face. Upon landing on his feet, Piccolo leapt up high, firing a barrage of ki blasts downward at the arena. The two took evasive action, flipping, rolling, and sliding to avoid each that came.

 _"Wait..."_

She saw Goku starting to tire from the constant evasion. Seeing he couldn't avoid the next incoming projectile, she ran right for him with all haste.

"Look out, Gran...!" started Pan, stopping herself from finishing that sentence as she pushed Goku out of the way.

By that point, she could only try stopping it with an outstretched hand. After a small explosion, she found her right glove was nearly roasted off.

Despite her having saved Goku, Chi-Chi was not pleased with her.

 _"She was about to call my Goku 'Grandpa'. What nerve! After this is all over, I'm really going to give her a piece of my mind."_

Pan caught the dirty look from the young woman who would become her grandmother.

 _"What's with Grandma? What bone could she have to pick with me?"_

 _"Pan, you almost gave away something just now,"_ said the Supreme Kai of Time. _"If you call Goku by his name or Grandpa, you risk them catching on and changing history. Try something like 'look out, mister' next time."_

 _"Yeah, that's a good point."_

She saw Piccolo starting to land and Pan lunged at him, the two grabbing hold of each other's hands. Piccolo fired eye beams at Pan, who swerved her head to the side to avoid it. She saw Piccolo starting to crouch over.

"Get out of his grip, now!" shouted Goku, running towards Piccolo.

But by the time these words left his mouth, Piccolo had jumped backward, his arms stretching. With another hop, Piccolo yanked Pan off her feet. He swung her around, tossing her into Goku. Before she could touch the ground, Piccolo grabbed hold of Pan below her arms, then lifted her upward.

* * *

Pan was back to her memory of her sparring with Piccolo. Despite Piccolo's gesture and plea, young Pan backed away slowly, her fists still raised.

"You won't fool me, Piccolo. I bet you have something up your sleeve."

"But Pan..." went her father, who had just entered the room. "Mr. Piccolo's not wearing any sleeves."

She peered over at Piccolo's arms, not seeing any sleeves...

As well as realizing he had stretched his arms to grab hold of her by her sides and lift her off the ground.

"You let your guard down."

Despite Pan trying to swing her arms and legs to swing free, Piccolo had her.

"Now I'm really gonna get you, Pan."

With flicks of his fingers, Piccolo tickled Pan's sides while lifting her up even further as she laughed.

* * *

Finally returning to the present, Pan felt herself being yanked back downward, the back of her head hitting the ground hard.

"Let her go, Junior!" cried out Goku.

He lifted Pan back up once again, then another slam downward.

"Then go on..." taunted Piccolo. "Try and hit me."

Goku already knew Piccolo's tactic: if Goku tried to make a move on him, Pan would be placed in front and take the hit for Piccolo.

Pan turned her head, seeing a few drops of blood on the ground from that last collision: Piccolo was slamming her down as hard as he could. She could feel from the next fling that this one was intended to be his hardest.

She grabbed hold of his wrists with her hands, then squeezed as hard as she could.

 _"I could lift 10 tons, so let's see what I can do here."_

Piccolo thought nothing of the gesture...

Until he felt something crushing his wrists.

"The hell...?!"

She forced herself downward onto her legs, then began tugging on his wrists.

"L... Let go of me!"

Pan didn't heed his words and kept pulling. She knew it was far from pleasant for Piccolo, but, as he had demonstrated with his viciousness thus far, this Piccolo was a far different individual than the one she knew growing up.

"Why... you!"

He charged both his hands with ki and fired two beams aimed for her face. Pan tilted her head twice, one beam only barely touching her hair. The beams in question flew far off into the distance, causing explosions farther away.

 _"He probably put a lot of energy into those... good."_

After this, she tugged as she stepped backward, then, upon letting her feet off the ground, let go of Piccolo's arms and launched herself right at him.

Upon landing a two-knee strike to Piccolo's jaw, causing him to spit up some purple blood, Pan transitioned to a gut punch.

 _"That's it, Pan. Keep up the damage. Wear him down so Goku can take care of the rest."_

Launch looked over at Pan's barrage against Piccolo with intrigue.

"Look at that. That girlie's really putting the hurt on Junior."

Tien watched alongside her.

"You're right. While hesitant before, now she looks to be overwhelming him."

As he got up, Goku saw Pan landing a multitude of punches against Piccolo, who couldn't seem to break free of her blitz.

 _"Wow... she really is strong. I'm surprised she wasn't in this tournament."_

An uppercut to Piccolo's chin sent him flying upward as Pan flew after him. He fired off three projectiles to stop her, only for her to move left and right to avoid the first, then, with a ki-charged fist, punched through the last before it struck his face.

She zoomed above him, Piccolo clearly dazed as she readied both her arms to slam him back down into the ground.

 _"Wait, wait, stop!"_ cried the Supreme Kai of Time.

Pan stopped.

 _"What is it?!"_

 _"Don't you see it?"_

Pan began to look downward, seeing that had she struck Piccolo...

 _"You would've knocked him out of the ring! History will change if you're the one who rings him out. You have to keep him in the ring."_

Seeing Pan frozen in midair, Piccolo decided to take advantage of it.

"Foolish girl..."

By the time Pan heard this, she saw too late yellow beams firing from Piccolo's antenna, striking her dead-on. She felt a shock across her entire body, crying out, before it dissipated, leaving her steaming...

And unable to move.

 _"I'm... stunned?"_

She slowly descended as Piccolo floated above her, his fists raised above his head. In spite of his anger from the beating he took earlier, his expression slowly morphed into a cocky smile.

"I suppose I might as well get in a ring out."

As his fists slammed downward toward Pan, Goku intercepted it, blocking the blow with his wrists.

"Save the thrashings for me, Junior."

Piccolo grinned as he lifted his foot up, then stomped the top of Pan's head. She descended faster now, still not able to move.

"Oh, I will... after this."

He managed to move one of his hands in Pan's direction, unleashing a projectile aimed for her.

With a quick look up to see Goku and Piccolo, Pan also saw a projectile heading for her. She leapt out of the way, waiting to see the attack hit the ground, but instead, it curved, avoiding the ground and coming after her.

 _"Oh, come on!"_

Yamcha saw Pan zooming across the area as the projectile kept following her.

"Wait, that's... that's almost like my Spirit Ball... except it's following her all by itself."

Kami turned to him.

"Indeed, it is very much akin to your technique. Perhaps he based it on yours."

Hearing that someone had based their technique off of his would've touched Yamcha in any other context, but this by the hands of the reincarnation of King Piccolo left him uneasy.

Pan was realizing how futile it was trying to outrun it.

 _"No matter what I do, it follows me."_

But as she looked back at Piccolo and Goku's clash, she got an idea.

With a big hop, she zoomed toward Piccolo, then swung her arms in Goku's direction.

"Get outta the way!"

Goku did so as Pan flew behind Piccolo, then tapped him on the shoulder.

"Tag!"

Piccolo swung at her with an enraged hook, which she ducked.

"Quit interfering with my...!"

He realized he had sent his homing attack at Pan earlier, then turned around to see it coming right for him. He had fallen for the same tactic Goku used on him earlier, his own attack redirected back at him.

"Not this time!"

With his wrist, Piccolo knocked his own projectile attack away from him, which then course-corrected towards Pan once more.

 _"That was a good idea, Pan,"_ complimented the Supreme Kai of Time. _"It's just too bad that Piccolo already fell for it against Goku."_

Now a distance from the ring, Pan saw the projectile returning to her, and faster than before.

 _"I can't outrun it anymore. Now..."_

She put her hands out in front of her, the fingers in opposing directions.

"Masenko!"

She fired it off, the beam managing to strike Piccolo's projectile before it could hit her.

Piccolo and Goku, arms locked, descended fast and slammed each other into the ground, then saw a midair explosion in the distance.

"There... I did you a favor, Goku. No more distractions."

Goku and all the Z-Fighters looked over, not seeing any signs of Pan anywhere. Bulma was terrified at this.

"Did he... did he really kill her?"

Frightened, she grabbed hold of Yamcha's arm as he looked just as unsure as her. Krillin, next to him, looking all around him.

"I don't see her... anywhere at all."

Even Chi-Chi began to change her tone of Pan from earlier.

"How could that monster do that to her?"

"And now..." began Piccolo, gripping both his arms with his hands. "I'm getting bored of all of you."

Veins grew across Piccolo's body as he charged with an unbelievable energy. Everyone there recognized the technique... especially Goku, who had survived it earlier.

 _"He's doing that again?!"_

Kami couldn't hide the fear on his face.

"This does not bode well for us. Not only is he about to unleash such a massive attack a second time... Goku doesn't have enough power to survive it again."

Tien was especially concerned with this statement.

"What are you saying? That Goku is done for?"

"Get out of there!" shouted Yamcha.

As much as Goku was more than capable of doing so, he saw Piccolo stepping in the direction of his friends and colleagues.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to see your friends one last time before they all go?"

This time, Piccolo intended to wipe everyone out. Goku looked over at his friends, then back to Piccolo.

 _"No... I won't let him do it. I know what I have to do. I have to get Junior as far away from here as I can..."_

Goku saw Piccolo ready to place his arms outward, and got ready to charge at Piccolo with everything he had...

When Pan flew into Piccolo, grabbing hold of him and directing him high above the ring as quickly as she could.

"Look!" shouted Krillin, pointing upward. "That girl... she survived!"

Pan blasted Piccolo back with a quick burst of ki, then turned in the other direction quickly, knowing something big was coming her way.

"How... dare you!" screamed Piccolo, his arms upward, driven away from his intended targets and unable to stop his attack from commencing now.

A flash of white emerged, much like the one that destroyed the arena before. A huge explosion went off in the air, the shockwave in the air being more than enough to push Pan back with tremendous force towards the ground.

The crisis being averted and with Piccolo having used much of his energy like before, Goku ran in Pan's direction.

"Thank you for your help, but I'll take care of the rest."

Pan placed both her hands out in front of her as Goku jumped towards her. She grabbed hold of him, then threw him in Piccolo's direction as hard as she could. Combined with his own momentum, this allowed him to soar towards Piccolo rapidly, whom was in no position to defend himself.

"Tired already, Junior?!"

He unleashed a rapid barrage of punches, mostly striking his chest, stomach, and face.

Pan slowed down her descent, though still hit the ground hard, bouncing across before coming to a halt. She looked and saw Goku's flurry against Piccolo, then turned to see the Z-Fighters cheering for him.

"Sock it to him!" shouted Launch.

"Send Junior packing!" cheered Yamcha.

"Bring him down, Goku!" shouted Chi-Chi.

With a two-handed slam, Goku knocked Piccolo downward towards the arena square.

Pan looked back up and saw Piccolo coming right for her.

 _"...really, Grandpa?!"_

She rolled to the side, avoiding the crashing Piccolo. Goku just realized he almost accidentally sent Piccolo directly onto Pan and lightly chuckled to himself with his hand behind his head.

"Sorry about that."

But after this, Goku looked down at Piccolo, who didn't show any signs of getting up soon. He then cupped his hands together.

"Ka... me... ha... me... HAAAA!"

The Kamehameha came at the grounded Piccolo, who screamed as the attack neared him, unable to get out of the way.

In a round hole lied Piccolo, partially buried by the dirt, his hands up and his mouth still open from his scream earlier.

As much as Pan didn't like seeing Piccolo in this condition, she knew that it meant the battle was over.

 _"Good job, Pan."_ congratulated the Supreme Kai of Time. _"Once you get going, the announcer will start the countdown, and history will be restored."_

Pan started to make her way to the edge of the ring, one foot raised outside it...

"Hey..."

Pan heard Goku talking to her and turned toward her grandfather.

"You really fought well. Who are you? And who trained you?"

These were exactly the two questions Pan had hoped to avoid hearing. Now what was she supposed to say?

A beam emerged from behind Goku, whom turned around upon hearing it...

And it pierced through the right side of his chest. Goku coughed up blood and fell back, seeing the beam originating from Piccolo's mouth.

Pan managed to catch Goku, holding him upward as he covered his wound with his hand. She was heavily shaken, as were the others, after having believed that Piccolo was defeated.

"Can't stand up without someone helping you, Goku?" asked Piccolo, spitting a drop of purple blood on the ground.

Yamcha could tell Goku was probably going to take this to heart and wouldn't accept this girl's help any longer.

"Don't listen to him, Goku! He's just trying to get under your skin!"

 _"What do I do, Supreme Kai?"_ asked Pan. _"Can my grandfather still win this now?"_

 _"Had you left unseen earlier, history would have restored itself, but since you're still here..."_

Pan began to feel Goku trying to gently push away from her.

 _"You... you can't be serious, Grandpa."_

He grinned at her, a drop of blood still on his lip.

"I appreciate you helping me earlier, I really do... but this is my fight."

"No!" shouted Kami in protest. "If you give in to your pride now, you will only allow him victory."

 _"Pan, Goku may be right,"_ began the Supreme Kai of Time. _"This may be the best time to leave. Once you've exited their sight..."_

After seeing that Goku could stand up on his own, Pan began backing up as the Supreme Kai of Time explained. Chi-Chi did not take this gesture well and pointed right at her.

"Are you really going to leave my future husband bleeding here?! You... you...!"

Piccolo, however, was simply surprised to see Goku standing up at all.

"Your aim is as bad as your fighting..." taunted Goku. "You missed all my vital parts."

"All of them?!"

His composure began to turn as Goku slowly let go of his wound. But then he spotted Pan starting to hover overheard.

 _"I don't think they like how this looks..."_ Pan noticed. _"...they won't remember a thing, right?"_

 _"Well..."_

A beam struck Pan on the back.

"No!"

Goku turned to see Pan being struck, then realized Piccolo was fast approaching him.

With a lunge, Piccolo struck Goku with both feet, forcing him onto his back. Upon landing with a stomp on his wound...

Pan stopped herself from touching the ground, then heard her grandfather screaming in pain: Piccolo was stepping on his wound repeatedly.

"I should've expected nothing less from the demon spawn of King Piccolo!" shouted Tien. "I can't stand aside any more!"

He and the others began charging for the arena when Piccolo, not even looking at them, spread a beam across the ground in front of them. They stopped, seeing a massive wide hole in front of them.

"I'll kill you all when it's your tu...!"

A flying tackle by Pan knocked Piccolo off Goku, followed by several punches to his face.

"I won't let you not kill m... him!"

Knowing to keep him in the ring, she concluded by throwing him straight down. As the two got to their feet, Piccolo looked at Goku's last location only to see a couple of drops of blood.

"Hey!"

A punch to Piccolo's back from Goku.

"I didn't hear the ten count."

Pan immediately attacked in front of him, forcing him to defend as Goku ducked under a desperate swing. In spite of his wound, Pan could at least keep Piccolo's attention split between the two.

He tried to jump upward, but found Goku hopping and grabbing onto his right arm. It seemed his attempt to pull Piccolo was unsuccessful...

But with Pan jumping onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, their combined force finally forced him crashing down. Goku kept Piccolo's right arm pinned as Pan pinned his left with her own, then raised her right fist to strike him.

 _"Pan, you've got to let Piccolo go now,"_ ordered the Supreme Kai of Time.

 _"No offense, but..."_ began Pan, while noticing Piccolo was pushing back harder. _"... this really isn't the best time."_

 _"Goku has to score the final blow himself. If you both defeat him together, history will change for sure."_

His eyes glowing red, Piccolo fired beams from his eyes at Pan's stomach, causing a searing pain. Unlike the quick bursts from before, this beam seemed to continue firing as it then zapped straight up across her chest.

Grasping her burning wound, Piccolo was free to use his other arm to push Goku off of him, then flew forward with both elbows reached out. One struck the back of Pan's head while the other...

Pierced Goku's wound. As Goku fell backwards, Piccolo aimed both his knees for Goku's.

 ** _*SNAP!*_**

Both of Goku's legs were broken, leaving only his left arm and neck able to move...

Until Piccolo fired a beam through his left shoulder.

"You see, I learned from my father. I won't repeat the same mistake he made."

Pan could hear Goku's screaming the entire time she was trying to recover.

 _"Have I... failed?"_

With the beam concluded, Piccolo took a look at his immobilized opponent.

 _"Everything that's happened here is how it went in the official history."_

...but then a flash of purple enveloped him as he then pointed his hand right at Goku's head, charging for something.

 _"...EXCEPT THAT! He's not supposed to...!"_

Pan didn't hear everything the Supreme Kai of Time had said and already stood in front of her grandfather, intercepting the beam with her wrists, both covered in ki. With a shout and a swing of both arms, she sent the beam firing away from Goku.

Immediately afterward, Pan saw herself too late to block a punch... and off her feet. An uppercut to her chest struck the wound from Piccolo's beam earlier. Upon hitting the ground, she was left to lie on her stomach as Piccolo finally turned back to Goku.

The sky went dark as Piccolo began to float upward.

"Your body is useless now!"

Pan saw him preparing an attack.

"You couldn't block this even if you wanted to!"

With no sign of Goku getting up behind her, Pan floated upward to protect her grandfather. Piccolo took note of this, but was unperturbed.

"Even now, you're in my way?! Fine! You'll die too!"

Piccolo gripped his right arm with his left hand as it charged with energy, firing a massive beam.

She saw the attack coming and simply covered her head and upper body with crossed arms as her ki shield enveloped her entire body.

 _"I may not be able to go Super Saiyan anymore... but no matter what, I'll make sure you survive, Grandpa."_

She closed her eyes as it finally reached her.

From the distance, the explosion almost looked akin to a nuclear explosion.

Inside their hole, Z-Fighters and friends didn't see any signs of either Goku or Pan standing. Piccolo floated down to see the aftermath for himself.

In a massive crater in the ring, he saw...

Pan lying inside of it, covered in dirt not unlike how Piccolo was earlier. Her gloves were tattered, her shirt's sleeves had been burned off, and her pants were reduced to shorts at this point.

 _"You survived?"_ Piccolo asked in amazement.

It was from there Pan began to wonder about Goku's whereabouts.

 _''"Wait... if I was in front of him, then..."''_

She turned around, digging through the dirt she was laying on for any signs of him.

 _"I'm not seeing him! He's not...!"_

She found nothing. At this point, she was panicking.

 _''"But... but I was covering him! How could Piccolo's blast hit him from behind?!"''_

But Piccolo's grin slowly turned as he started to put together the improbability of his attack killing Goku if Pan survived it.

"Where is he?!"

He stretched his arm to grab Pan, whom leapt to the side onto her right arm and shoulder.

"Girl! Where is Goku?!"

Piccolo raised his hand, poised to strike at Pan at any moment as she simply looked upward at him...

...and began to grin.

"What?"

Pan didn't answer: her grin widened and opened up.

"What are you smirking at?!"

He finally decided to turn around and see what Pan was looking at above him...

Goku flew in from above at a high speed towards him.

"I told you...!" shouted Goku.

Piccolo couldn't move his legs in time and was struck by a flying headbutt to his stomach.

"...I'd win."

Piccolo fell to the ground outside of the ring: not only was he in no condition to fight any further, but as per the tournament rules, he had been rung out.

 _"You've done it, Pan!"_ cheered the Supreme Kai of Time. _"Now quick! While everyone's looking over there, head to cover and we'll extract you!"_

With everyone turning towards Goku and Piccolo, Pan began to walk in the other direction behind a large rock.

"Hey..." inquired Yamcha, turning around looking for Pan, whom was hiding behind the rock. "Where did that girl go?"

After his inquiry, Bulma grabbed hold of his ear and tugged on it.

"Why? Because you want to ask her out on a date?"

After catching a glimpse of this, Pan saw the area around her beginning to disappear and turn into flashing lights...

To which Pan vanished. As for anything Pan had done, from holes in the ground from her attacks to even her footprints, had vanished as well.

In an instant, something flashed through everyone's heads: they lost all memory of Pan being there.

Yamcha turned over, seeing Bulma tugging on his ear. Bulma just realized what she was doing and, not having any reason to do so, let go.

"So..." began Goku, taking Yamcha and Bulma's mind off of what happened earlier. "Is he out of the ring?"

The announcer, whom had kept his head down the entire time, looked over and saw Piccolo lying outside the ring clear as day.

"He is!"

He raised his arms in triumph.

"Goku is the winner of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament!"

* * *

Pan found herself back in the Time Nest, the scroll in her hand once again.

"Well done, Pan."

She turned to see the Supreme Kai of Time giving a small clap.

"You successfully protected history."

As much as Pan was happy she had saved her grandfather, she had one burning question on her mind:

Why didn't you tell me Goku flew over that attack?"

"If you knew he would do that off-hand, Piccolo might've caught onto it. So your shock matched Piccolo's just long enough for Goku to get in the winning hit."

"Yeah..." as Pan looked over at her tattered attire. "And it only ruined my favorite clothes."

"Don't worry about that."

A familiar voice.

"We have machines that can repair clothing."

Pan and the Supreme Kai of Time turned to see Trunks walking down the stairs.

"Since the mission's accomplished, Pan, you're free to head back to your housing unit... if you're still staying with us, that is."

The Supreme Kai of Time left the room, leaving Pan and Trunks to themselves.

"Pan..."

He looked downward.

"I'm sorry. I never should have kept that from you."

He turned away from her.

"If it was unforgivable, I understand."

She walked over in his direction to face him.

"Trunks, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean what I said about leaving me dead."

In spite of her apology, she pointed at him.

"Just promise me one thing: from now on, even if you think it'll hurt me... tell me the truth about everything."

He nodded without hesitation.

"I promise, Pan."

As the two began to exit the room, Trunks took out a capsule.

"One more thing..."

Pan saw the capsule in his hand, then caught it when he tossed it to her. With a push of the button...

 ***POOF!***

A grey-white jacket landed in her hands, an orange Capsule Corp logo on the left shoulder, and a yellow cape attached to it.

"Welcome to the team."

* * *

"So... Chronoa found herself another lapdog, I see."

Two shadowy figures looked over a red and white screen at the battle that had just taken place.

"How soon before we make the next alteration?"

"There's no rush. I now have an excuse to improve my formula."


	11. Rigorous Exam! A Greater Threat!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

It had been some time since her very first mission as a Time Patroller. As far as she was aware, only Trunks, the Supreme Kai of Time, and herself knew of what she had done.

These past weeks had been her getting back to her routine in the academy, donning her Time Patrol track suit from before and keeping her newly acquired jacket and cape with her belongings in her housing unit.

Alongside her other recruits in the 10's, she kept up as their training slowly increased in difficulty.

On one of the days, before their session could begin, Commander Hale's voice informed her and a few others of something:

"Umiu, Amura, and Pan. Please report below to the training chamber."

* * *

The three of them proceeded onward, going down fleets of stairs to deep below the academy, where Hale was waiting for them.

"You three have done exceptionally these past weeks. For your efforts, I grant you the opportunity of taking an advancement test."

Umiu seemed surprised at this.

"A test? But I thought we advanced by fighting others."

Hale confirmed his thesis.

"That is normally the case, yes. However, I realize there is much more to prepare you for the ensuing ranks than just battle with your fellow recruits."

He pointed at a doorway.

"This is a training chamber, designed to push patrollers to their brinks. It is in here where you will be tested."

Amura raised her hand as Hale nodded, awaiting her inquiry.

"So... any hints on what we're up against?"

"You will be facing various villains. They aren't the real thing, but they fight like them."

Pan raised her hand as well.

"So are we talking... holograms?"

"Partially. Their presence in the room will feel no different from a real person inside. They take hits... and deliver them as well."

The door to the chamber opened as the three waited to see which of them would be willing to enter first.

"Bear this in mind before you enter: they will not kill you... but do not take them lightly for that. If they do not knock you unconscious, they will beat you within an inch of your life if given the chance."

Hale made his way to an elevator.

"I will monitor everything from another room. If anything goes wrong, I'll pull the plug. Good luck, you three."

As Hale exited, Pan, Amura, and Umiu tried to decide who would go first.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" suggested Pan. "First two decide third, then the last two decide first and second."

"Sure, let's go with that," stated Amura, who got her hand ready.

"1, 2, 3!"

Pan had drawn paper and Amura scissors: not the outcome Pan was hoping for.

"Alright, I'll be third."

From there, Amura turned to Umiu, his hand already drawn.

"1, 2, 3!"

Umiu had paper and Amura rock.

"Shoot, I'm second."

The Namekian had a mix of emotions on his face: being excited that he was going first, but also nervous at what was to come. But he tried to cover it up as best as he could.

"Don't worry: I won't be long, ladies."

Both saw Amura enter and after the door closed, they couldn't see or hear anything going on inside: it would remain a mystery to them until Umiu came out.

* * *

To pass the time, Pan and Amura conversed about a plethora of topics, eventually leading to Pan's lineage.

"So... you're the granddaughter of Son Goku, huh?" asked Amura.

"Right," answered Pan.

"What was he like?"

"I never got to meet him. He died in the Cell Games."

"The tournament Cell hosted? That never happened on my Earth."

"If there was no Cell Games on your Earth... then Goku was..."

"Goku was still around. Famous fighter. Won the 25th world tournament when he fought Hercule. Rung him out in one punch."

Pan could barely believe what Amura had told her: she had grown up hearing how Hercule had managed to defeat Goku in spite of being a human against a Super Saiyan.

"Strange. Hercule rung out Goku in one punch on my Earth."

Amura was certainly struck by this, but also saw how sincerely Pan believed it. Pan also considered what this would mean for her mother and father's relationship.

"What about Gohan and Videl, my parents?"

"Well Pan, I don't think they got together on my Earth. I think when the 25th tournament went on, a blonde haired girl was dating Gohan."

 _"Huh. Guess this was one of the timelines I wasn't born in."_

"As for Videl, I don't recall, but..."

Finally, the door had opened. Umiu began to step out.

"I finally did it... I'm a part of the 20's now..."

But Pan and Amura saw him injured, a few cuts on his face, his hands covering a wound to his side as he slowly approached them. He lost his footing as he exited the room, Amura catching him, but finding he could barely stand.

"No, no... I'm fine... just..."

"You're not foolin' me..." answered Amura, whom kept him on his feet.

Pan certainly didn't like seeing him in such condition and offered to help him.

"Amura, what can I do to...?"

"It's alright, Pan. I'll take him over to medical. You go on ahead and take the exam."

She still wasn't sure about this.

"If we take him together, we'll make it faster, then you can go next."

"Times a'wasting, Pan. Go for it and when I get back, I expect the room to be ready for me. Got it?"

Pan nodded, then watched as Amura began to lightly float upward to help Umiu over the stairs.

 _"Okay, don't panic, Pan. Whatever in the room just seriously hurt him, that's all... this isn't helping."_

Finally, she took a deep breath and took her first step into the room, seeing that it was massive with a high tech ceiling, floor, and walls.

 _"Come on already. Amura'll be back in no time."_

* * *

Once she was inside, the doors closed and the room began to change: everything was becoming covered by bits that slowly formed new surroundings...

In this case, a narrow rectangular room with no exits. If Pan wanted to back out of the exam, it was too late for that now.

Hale, standing at a console, watched as Pan stood waiting for what was to come. On a screen was various indicators, including the number of combatants remaining and Pan's vital signs.

Pan heard a sound in front of her, then saw red text emerge on the walls, spelling out "Warning".

 _"Well, at least it's being up-front about the danger."_

As she stood battle-ready, she saw what looked like a shadow of a man forming from the shadow of the wall. As it came closer, a body began forming from it, revealing...

"There's no cheating in a fight to the death..."

A blonde haired man in a brown uniform and hat, blue pants, and black boots: General Blue.

"...only the last one alive."

She already knew this exam wasn't to the death, but even then, as Hale had informed her, it would be as close as they could get to the real thing.

Just then, Hale's voice over an intercom.

"Begin."

From there, Blue charged at Pan, throwing out punches as she stood in place, swerving her head and torso left and right to avoid them.

 _"He's pretty quick, though I've fought faster..."_

After hopping over a sweeping kick, Pan brought her fist towards his face, only to see him sidestep it.

 _"Okay, how about we compare him to past opponents AFTER this is over!"_

She turned, seeing him dash forward, his fist aimed right for her head. She ducked, seeing his strike go through the wall of the arena and causing small pieces of it to scatter. His arm wasn't stuck, so he would probably tear it back out at any moment, so Pan acted quickly, rising upward with an uppercut to his jaw.

Blue's forehead hit the ceiling, then as he fell back downward, Pan struck him in the gut. As the general rolled across the ground, then got back to his feet...

"How could you?!" began Blue. "You actually hit me!"

Pan certainly wasn't expecting a villain to react in that manner. Since this was a physical projection based on someone, she figured it wouldn't do much of anything to converse with it.

"Fine then."

Blue waved his hand at her, then hopped backward into the darkest corner of the room. Pan pursued him, but saw and sensed no sign of General Blue anywhere.

 _"Did he just bail on the fight after one hit?"_

The walls were covered in red warning text once more.

 _"Is he back?"_

From the shadows entered a mustached man with black hair in a ponytail, donning a pink Chinese longcoat. The kanji in the upper left...

 _"Does that seriously say 'Kill'?"_

She didn't need to know his background to know what the kanji represented regarding his occupation. During all of this, this man kept his eyes on her, not a hint of emotion on his face.

"Fancy yourself a trained fighter, do you?" he asked, moving his ponytail to his opposite shoulder. "The name is Tao. Pleased to kill you."

Instead of charging at her like Blue before him, Tao simply waited for her to make a move, not even taking on a proper fighting stance: just standing with both arms behind his back.

 _"Don't want to keep Amura waiting..."_

Pan ran to him, swinging and alternating between hands, only to see Tao stepping backward while avoiding each almost casually. She switched to kicks, still seeing him as carefree and unphased avoiding them.

She jumped upward, descending upon him with a punch only to see her hand striking the ground...

...and feeling a hit to her head, forcing her face-first to the ground. Did he use one of his hands? She took just a moment to glance at him, but Tao's hands were still behind him. All she saw was his ponytail hanging idol. As crazy as it seemed...

 _"He did that... with just his ponytail?"_

She didn't ponder on that for long as she saw Tao running for her. She got back up and, not able to get out of the way of his kick, put her arms in blocking positions. It didn't break her guard, but she flew back regardless.

Pan stopped herself from colliding with the wall full-force by putting her hand out behind her to catch herself. It was a success, though she saw she left small fingertip-shaped dents in the wall as a result. Just as she recovered, Tao covered the distance and struck at her with rapid claw-like strikes. She moved her arms quickly, managing to intercept or redirect them, though noting how strong the force behind them were.

 _"...is Tao even human?"_

Just as she thought of moving to the side...

 _"Huh? I'm stuck."_

Pan saw her feet pinned to the ground by Tao's own. She threw a punch to get Tao off her, but he caught it, as well as gripped her other hand before she could ready it.

 _"If he's only my second opponent of many more... this could be bad."_

Tao moved his head backward...

 _"Oh..."_

...and struck Pan with a headbutt, causing her to fall backward, though still in his grip, her back touching the wall. For a normal human, it'd be like being struck on the head with a bowling ball.

In spite of his feat, Tao still kept the same demeanor, no doubt an attempt to keep him true to the historic version.

"Is that all?" he inquired, seeing that Pan was in no position to make eye contact with her head hanging backward.

But just then, he saw Pan's head coming back up and her body flying forward. She headbutt him back, dazing him just enough for her to free her left foot. She used that freed foot to trip him, getting enough of Tao's attention to allow her right hand to slip free of his left.

With her right hand gripping his right arm, whose hand still held her left, she stomped the ground with her left foot, then swung both arms over her, lifting Tao off his feet and slamming him back-first through the wall behind her. Her hand still holding him tight, she swung in the other direction, throwing Tao in the direction of the other wall upon releasing him.

Tao managed to land on his feet, brushing some debris from the wall off his shoulder before hopping backwards.

 _"Oh no, you...! ...don't."_

And he was gone, having disappeared in the same manner as General Blue earlier. So far, she had only taken hits from Tao, though she figured whoever followed...

"Warning" on the walls once more, though it looked as if the hole from before had healed over, no doubt due to the environment being a construct. Another shadow...

 _"Another human villain?"_

This one emerged from the ceiling instead. It had a humanoid shape, but had sharp nails on its fingers, two wings on its back, and what in the shadow almost looked like a thin mohawk...

...but upon taking physical shape, turned out to be a part of this green scaled creature's head. His only attire was martial artist pants and shoes, and a red sash wrapped around his waist.

 _"A Namekian."_

Tambourine grinned at her, standing on the ceiling without effort.

"I'll kill you just for fun," he gleefully announced to her.

With a flip, Tambourine flew down with a flying knee towards Pan, whom hopped backward, avoiding a strike that left an indent in the floor. She jumped forward with a kick, but he turned his torso, swinging his right wing into her.

She blocked, but was sent rolling as Tambourine flew in with rapid kicks. She controlled her rolls to avoid them, each kick able to pierce the ground, until she used a ki blast to push herself out of range. Once able to get back on her feet in peace, Pan zoomed after Tambourine, throwing punches, only to hear him cackling with each miss.

"Oh, humans... all the same..."

Pan saw her fist caught, but also a yellow glow from across Tambourine's entire body...

...a continuous electric shock went through Pan's entire body.

"Weak... and pathetic."

Tambourine was so caught up in demeaning his opponent he didn't even care to notice a faint blue glow going across her body.

"At least the sounds you make when you die are most enj..."

With a shout, Pan channeled ki through her whole body, then unleashed it in an explosion around her. Tambourine was pushed back and lost his grip, then, as he tried to hurry back to her, was met by a punch to his jaw with Pan's left hand followed by a kick to his side with her right leg.

As he began to reel, an upward kick to his chin left him exposed long enough for a strike to his chest, flooring him with his front on the ground. She ran to him, another punch headed his way, as he floated upward quickly thanks to his wings and span in place, disuading her from attacking at that moment.

Once he stopped, he simply remained off the ground, the only damage appearing to be some purple blood falling from his lip. He wiped it off with his wrist, then smirked before floating backward...

 _"Oh come on... really!?"_

For the third time in a row, Pan could only watch as her opponent vanished out of the room. She kept her eyes open for "warning" to appear at any moment, but instead...

...a sound and a flash of light. She walked over to its source, seeing something floating above her...

 _"A ring... like in the maze."_

It would appear the room had nothing more to offer her, and that whatever else remained for her lied wherever the ring would take her. She put her arm through it, then slowly made her way through it, exiting the room elsewhere.

Pan emerged in what seemed to be a cityscape, though it revealed itself to be an empty metropolis. Not old and decayed, but not exactly shiny and brand new either.

It wasn't long until she saw "Warning" in the sky. Shortly after from above, she could see two figures flying in. It was hard to distinguish them due to the artificial sunlight getting in her eyes...

"I can see them... but I can't sense their ki..."

Even the other holograms from earlier still gave off a similar signature to ki to come as close to their real counterparts as they could, but these... they couldn't be sensed no matter how hard she tried.

At last, they both landed hard on the ground:

What looked like a towering man in blue and brown with red hair and wearing sunglasses over his eyes. But the metallic sound upon its landing told her it was not human.

Next to it was a purple robot suit with a logo akin to a red bowtie with two white R's. Inside, she could barely make out the pilot: only that he wasn't wearing anything close to combat attire.

"I'm not just Officer Black anymore. Now I AM the Red Ribbon Army! Metallitron..."

The large man turned its head towards Officer Black's Battle Jacket as he pointed it in Pan's direction.

"Attack!"

Metallitron threw a downward swing at Pan, whom hopped backward. From there, he stepped forward and threw another, finding his attack once again only hitting the pavement. He then switched to a jab, nearly striking Pan as she sidestepped it and threw a punch to his side.

He stumbled into the side of a building as Pan then turned to see the Battle Jacket going for a downward two-handed swing. Pan hopped backward, then jumped atop its hands before leaping towards the cockpit door. With another punch, she struck the see-through dome, not breaking through it entirely, but cracking it and sending a few pieces inside towards Officer Black.

The large machine stepped backward, then positioned both its hands in her direction, where Pan saw the palms glowing.

 _"It's not ki, but..."_

Dual beams fired, forcing Pan to retreat with the Battle Jacket's arms tracking her. More beams fired, Pan ducking or jumping as they struck windows and other obstructions before she found herself being grabbed by Metallitron's massive hands. She pushed back with her hands, but found both his pushing against her was like stopping two weight machines at once.

She could see that the Battle Jacket was aiming once more, Officer Black's face looking eager to take advantage of her struggle to finally land a blast. With a kick to Metallitron's chest, she managed to break out of his grip, then flew upward, just barely avoiding the next beam that struck Metallitron dead-on. Officer Black was getting frustrated.

"Stupid machine! All you had to do was keep her in place!"

He began firing more and more beams as Pan swerved across the cityscape avoiding them. Unlike before, Pan now had plenty of space to maneuver around her opponents.

"You won't get away! I'll see to that myself!"

Pan saw the Battle Jacket flying off after her and decided to keep climbing upward, see how far she could lead him...

...then she felt a bonk on her head, as if she had hit it on a ceiling. She looked up and saw a small glimpse of a teal field, which slowly dissipated: it must've appeared upon her touching the highest point.

 _"Figures the range here isn't unlimited."_

Once the Battle Jacket had caught up to her, the two clashed, with Pan managing to guard against the giant robot's swings with her wrists. They certainly still struck hard, but so far, Pan wasn't about to let that stop her.

The two then flew into each other with a shoulder charge, the two trying to overpower the other. Instead of seeing Officer Black panicking or gritting his teeth at her, she instead saw him grinning at her. She looked behind her...

...and was struck by a punch by Metallitron, whom aside from a hole in his jacket and part of his chin revealing a grey hue underneath, was still in working condition. She saw herself falling towards the ground fast and quickly grabbed hold of the top of a stop light's bar to stop herself from crashing. As she then allowed herself to gently land, she saw both robotic opponents hovering above her, as well as something in the sky...

"Warning!" once more appeared. She looked to her left and right, but then saw something flying right towards her from above: a pink pillar and what looked like someone standing atop it.

 _"That's..."_

She hopped back, barely avoiding it crashing into the ground, now seeing the figure was Mercenary Tao.

 _"Him again?"_

Behind him, General Blue and Tambourine both landed to the left and right of him.

"So Tao," began the general. "What say you to us working together for a change?"

Tao didn't even comment back to him, but seemed to accept Blue's gesture. Tambourine looked at both of them, not hiding his disgust of them, but slowly showing a smile.

"I suppose just this once, I'll work with you pathetic humans. Just as long as we kill that one."

Pan had gone from fighting one-one-one to one-on-two, and now one-on-three...

"Enough dawdling!" exclaimed Officer Black, him and Metallitron hovering downward slowly. "Finish her off!"

 _"One-on-five... well that's just perfect."_

Against each alone, she could hold her own against them, but now she had to find a way to combat all five of them at once. First, she flew past them, trying to get them to pursue her and hopefully break formations.

"You can run, but you'll still die!" shouted General Blue, whom watched alongside Tao as Tambourine flapped his wings to pursue their target.

She fired off ki blasts, seeing Tambourine swerving to avoid them, only to bump her head into a metal structure...

The Battle Jacket, which could only mean Metallitron wasn't far behind. Officer Black took advantage of this by trying to strike with his robot knee. Pan guarded against it, but then saw Metallitron about to land hard into her with his feet.

 _"Gotta pay attention to my surroundings!"_

She flew between the Battle Jacket's legs, leaving Metallitron to leave a small crater and force the Battle Jacket to fall onto its back.

"Come on, come on!" shouted Officer Black at the controls. "Get up, get up!"

Pan saw the Battle Jacket exposed, but before she could act, Tambourine flew in with a kick aimed for her forehead. She ducked, only having her bandanna dragged off her head, as Tambourine then turned around and swung at Pan with his nailed fingers. Pan ducked, then saw Metallitron throwing another punch at her, and was forced back in Tambourine's direction. She blocked with her wrist, but received a few scratch marks for her effort.

The fresh wound on her mind, she fired off an angry blast with one hand, one that Tambourine was more than happy to hop over, then, as she surveyed her surroundings, saw General Blue, having caught up to her and staring at her with a blue glow to his eyes.

 _"I... I can't move a muscle!"_

Left frozen in place, she could only watch as General Blue ran in and kicked her akin to a football punt, launching her backward. Just then, she saw the Battle Jacket hovering overhead and free to punch her back downward. Upon hitting the ground, Mercenary Tao landed on her with both his knees.

Pan coughed after the fact, watching as Metallitron grabbed her by the back of her jacket.

 _"If I don't get out of this now..."_

With his own punch, Pan struck the back of a wall, embedding her back into it. Tambourine walked up to her calmly, taking his time as he readied one of his hands, which took on a red glow.

 _"Wait..."_

She thought back to the wound that Umiu had on his side when he exited earlier: it looked like a claw strike as well.

 _"He must've been struck by that."_

If she couldn't get out of the way, this would be the end of her run. Not fatal as the simulation would not allow fatalities, but not something she was going to walk off anytime soon.

 _"If I could just... move."_

She couldn't move her limbs, but she could still use her ki. But she looked back at General Blue, who continued eyeing her to prevent her escape. He chuckled at Pan's gesture.

"Are you so eager to continue taking on my psychic powers that you'd look into my eyes?"

He didn't suspect a thing. That was good.

As Tambourine got ready to finally swing his superheated hand at Pan, he saw something from the corner of his eye: thin blasts that would be invisible to a normal human eye. Before he could register this, General Blue was struck on the face by them and gripped it with both his hands.

"My face! My beautiful face!"

Now that he had broken eye contact with her, Pan finally burst free from the wall. Tambourine tried to recompose himself and threw his swing at last, but Pan hopped over it, then struck his forehead with her foot, sending him onto his back.

Metallitron went for a kick, but Pan grabbed hold of his boot, then swung as hard as she could, sending him off his feet. Mercenary Tao was the closest person to her, so she let go, throwing Metallitron in his direction as Tao simply hopped over him.

 _"Now where is...?"_

Something struck the back of her head: General Blue, a few scratches on his face, having swung a payphone at her.

"That's what you get, you brat!"

Before she could turn to face him, she was slammed into at high speed by the Battle Jacket, which slammed her into another building's wall. He flew backward afterward, then signaled Metallitron and Tambourine.

"Altogether now," rallied Officer Black. "FIRE!"

A missile fired from Metallitron's mouth.

Two beams fired from the Battle Jacket's hand.

A blast fired from Tambourine's mouth.

 ***BOOM!***

The explosion collapsed the building Pan was stuck to, leaving a gigantic crater in the aftermath.

General Blue, seeing nothing left of Pan, laughed to himself with his hand near his chin in feminine form.

Major Metallitron simply put out his left hand with his middle and index fingers up in a v-shape and said "Victory" repeatedly.

The Battle Jacket hopped upward repeatedly with both its mechanical arms up in the air.

Tao and Tambourine didn't celebrate, instead turning their backs on the destruction left behind.

"Amatuer."

"Weakling."

Unknown to all five of them, Pan peered over a few buildings away from the carnage. She looked to see who was the most distracted, and ran as quickly as she could towards them.

She made it to Metallitron first, whom tried to turn his bulk around upon hearing her, only to receive a kick to the chin...

A kick that knocked his head right off to the shock of the other four. Upon seeing Pan not only still alive, but having beheaded Metallitron, Tambourine couldn't hide the fear on his face or his body's shaking.

"That's... that can't... how did she...?"

General Blue lunged at her with a punch, but saw him striking through what looked like a holographic image of her. Just then, Pan kicked him in the chest through a nearby building. She then saw Tambourine's tongue launching towards her.

 _"His tongue... really?"_

She flew upward to avoid it, though still found her legs grabbed by it. He swung his tongue downward, knocking Pan to the ground, then began spinning it rapidly as Mercenary Tao took aim with one finger.

 _"Is that...?"_

"DODON RAY!"

 _"That's Tien's move... and Kani's!"_

With a ki blast, she struck Tambourine's tongue, causing him to release her. Still feeling a burn, he tried treating his tongue and began reeling it back into his mouth as saw the Dodon Ray coming right for him. He narrowly ducked it, but felt a burn in his wing.

"Cursed human!" growled Tambourine, looking at a hole in his wing before being punched into the ground.

Pan then zoomed over to the Battle Jacket, punching it several times while flying after it, pushing it back several feet as Officer Black tried to get it to grind to a halt. But a sound from behind caught her attention...

She saw Metallitron's hand in a fist... but it was flying right for her. She moved to the side, but still felt it striking her cheek. But during this, Officer Black saw it coming for him as well.

"To the right, to the right!"

Finally, the Battle Jacket did as he wanted, though only narrowly as the rocket-propelled fist still tore a chunk out of its shoulder before flying into another building.

After getting back up, Pan saw that even without its head, Metallitron still seemed able to track her.

''"Guess its head was just for show."''

He slammed his fist downward, forcing Pan back, then stomped on the ground to force her off-balance. It worked and she fell onto her back, then watched as he prepared to step on her with his massive boot.

"Destroy! Destroy!"

It only muttered that word repeatedly, perhaps saying it with an internal speaker of some kind. If Metallitron's head wasn't the center of him, then it had to be his chest.

With a beam of ki, she struck the boot before it could stomp her, pushing it back just long enough for her to fly backward. She peppered him with ki blasts, seeing Metallitron cover himself with his arms before firing off his only remaining hand.

This time, Pan saw it coming a mile away and swerved with ease to avoid it, then began accelerating as she charged ki in both her hands. Metallitron tried to step backward, but by that point, Pan had build up so much speed that his bulk couldn't sidestep her oncoming attack even if he wanted to.

Flipping and aiming both her feet for his chest, she didn't just slam into him, but tore right through him. As her upper body began to enter the hole she had created, she fired off the ki she had stored at his internal systems. In a flash, Pan stood nearby, Metallitron hunched over as the inside of him glowed.

 ***BOOM!***

The mechanical major exploded shortly afterward, Pan remaining standing until she felt a piece of his jacket brushing against her face. She blew it away, then turned to see where her remaining four opponents were. Tao and Tambourine were out of her sight, as was the massive Battle Jacket. But from above atop a crumbled building top as a result of the dodged rocket punch from earlier...

"Now you've really done it, girl!" shouted General Blue, his brown uniform top in tatters as he tore it off of him. "Why don't you come up here?!"

She flew upward to him, knowing to avoid eye contact with him after the thrashing she went through earlier. From behind a nearby building, Officer Black saw an opportunity and pressed away at the Battle Jacket's controls. Above the jet boosters on his back, a hatch opened revealing a missile. He took aim and tried to lock on to Pan on a screen.

"Stay still, you two."

As she blocked a chop from Blue with her wrist, she tried to use her wrist to provide cover from his eyes like a warrior using a shield to keep from glimpsing a medusa's gaze. It was then a loud sound fired off from below them...

A rocket, one much larger than the one Metallitron fired from his mouth, zoomed quickly towards them. Blue was in disbelief.

"What disloyalty..."

Taking advantage of her opponent being just as shocked as she was, Pan grabbed hold of him by his left arm, then threw him forward before hopping to the side. By the time General Blue saw himself heading right for the missile, it had already struck him, pinning him to it as it flew further upward. The two reached the highest point of the barrier's ceiling, dragging against it before the two finally collided with the corner.

 ***BOOM!***

The explosion was far more massive. Even while this far from it, gusts of air still pushed Pan back hard...

...to which the Battle Jacket finally landed a blast against Pan, hitting her in the back. The TP logo on the jacket was almost entirely gone thanks to a seared hole. He flew up after her, believing it to have been a critical blow.

"That will teach you to stand against the Red Ribbon Army's ambitions!"

He flew in for a hard clap with both mechanical hands, but by the time they collided together, there was no impact with Pan at all.

"That really stung!" Pan shouted.

Only suffering some burns to her back as a result, Pan flew around to his back and saw the jet boosters clear as day. With a ki-enhanced punch, she tore into it, soon causing the monitor in the Battle Jacket's cockpit to flash with warnings.

"Boosters disabled?! No, no, NO!"

Pan then saw Tambourine flying in her direction. It seemed he was far too afraid to fight Pan alone at this point, but thought with her facing the Battle Jacket that it'd be the perfect time for him to strike. With sheer desperation, he flew for her, his superheated hand ready to strike once more.

"Die!"

She grabbed hold of the Battle Jacket by its arm and swung downward as hard as she could, managing to flip it over. The momentum of the slam struck Tambourine and his hand head-on. Officer Black was panicked after seeing Tambourine's hand tear through the back of his seat, nearly striking his head.

With the momentum of the swing, the two of them were now falling fast towards the ground. As they slammed into it, Tambourine basically crushed underneath the Battle Jacket now, Pan formed a cup with her hands.

"Ka...me..."

Inside the cockpit of the Battle Jacket, Officer Black panicked at the sound and glow of the attack in the making.

"What's the matter with this thing!? It has everything but an ejector seat!"

"Ha...me...

He saw the hole Pan had made earlier to punch him, but knew the reinforced material would be too hard for him to break bare-handed.

"...unless..."

He moved a lever for one of the arms, then ducked immediately as its right arm punched through the side of the dome.

"Haaaa!"

It flew towards the Battle Jacket and Tambourine at a high speed as Officer Black hurried through the new opening to escape. Tambourine, however, knew he was trapped under its weight and screamed as the Kamehameha neared him.

The beam tore through the Battle Jacket and struck Tambourine dead-on. The ensuing explosion reduced the Battle Jacket to scraps, as well as left Tambourine defeated for good...

...but to her surprise, Officer Black stood, rolling up his sleeves.

"Tao was it?"

"Hmm?"

The mercenary leapt down next to Officer Black after having disappeared earlier.

"I'd be more than happy to pay you handsomely for your assistance."

"Very well, but it'll be double the cost."

Pan kept eyeing them as it looked as though Officer Black was waiting for Tao to make his move towards her. Instead, Tao stood appearing uninterested.

"Well...?" taunted Tao.

"Okay, fine, you'll get your money," shrugged Officer Black hesitantly. "Now earn your keep!"

Both ran at Pan, swinging their fists as she blocked or ducked them. With a sweep, she tried to trip them, but Officer Black jumped high into the air while Tao only hopped slightly just enough to go to a kick. Pan guarded with her wrist, only being pushed back slightly, when she saw Officer Black falling downward for a chop.

She then caught Tao going for... a poke with his finger?

 _"If his ponytail could floor me..."_

Her other hand gripped his wrist before he could strike, only his fingernail partially poking her forehead. A burst of ki knocked Tao backward, then Pan fell onto her back and booted Officer Black in the stomach, boosting him back upward. Before Tao's lunging punch could strike, she guarded against it with her knee.

"My death punch... with your knee?"

A poke to the surprised Tao's throat left him exposed enough for Pan to dropkick him a good distance from her. She then turned to Officer Black, having landed and throwing a barrage of punches.

"You will not be the end of MY army...!"

As he went in for a more powerful kick, Pan flipped backward.

"And you will you not be the end of ME!"

Pan made her move, Officer Black beckoning her forward and readying himself for a counter-attack. He jumped over his charging opponent, swinging his hand into her neck for a chop. But when he did, he touched only air...

Followed by a chop to the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious and leaving him to fall onto his front hard.

 _"Guess that wraps up the Red Ribbon Army, huh?"_

Now Mercenary Tao was the only opponent still standing, cracking his neck.

"Any last words?" he inquired.

Pan simply put up her arms, responding with only her stance.

"I'll annihilate you."

From above, it looked as though two streaks of motion were colliding and running past each other repeatedly. Their fists repeatedly clashed with each collision, neither landing a blow just yet.

"I'll crush you!"

Finally, Tao had landed a punch to Pan's face, then kicked her upward. She caught herself on a building, then repositioned herself to launch off of it back to him.

"Come get me!"

Tao waited for Pan's approach, then swerved to avoid a flying kick from her. Pan then found herself flying almost uncontrollably back down and swung her arms to regain control in midair. By the time she did, almost running into a building, she saw Tao swinging both his arms at her, rocketing her to the ground.

He landed, surprised to see her getting right back up and brushing off bits of pavement from her hair.

"A glutton for punishment, I see. Well... at least you take a better beating than most."

In mid-taunt, Pan had already thrown a punch his way, then Tao responded with his own. Both pairs of legs were in place, the two vying to get past each other's arms. Bits of their sleeves began to tear off as their fists failed to strike their arms.

"When I'm done, you'll be dust in the wind!"

Managing to grab onto both of Tao's arms, she hopped upward and kicked him in the face. Upon letting go, she then slammed him back down to the ground. She hopped backward afterward, firing off a blast of ki at him.

Tao still stood, seeing his outfit's sleeves tattered, rendering his long coat sleeveless. Realizing he had some blood coming down his lip, he simply licked it with his tongue before reaching for a capsule in his pocket.

Pan ran at him, not wanting him to get away with using it, but he tossed it high upward, then leapt after it. Once Pan caught up, she saw Tao catching the item that the capsule released: a sword.

 _"Sure could use that power pole right about now."_

She managed to catch a one-handed swing from the blade with both hands, clapping them together to keep it from getting her. Tao then struck her side, forcing her to let go, allowing him to swing once again. As they fell back downward, Tao swung as hard and as quickly as he could at Pan, whom tried desperately to avoid each one.

 _"Hale won't let me die in the simulation... and he wouldn't let me lose a limb... would he?"_

Pan wasn't about to chance it and upon her feet touching the ground, tried to get as much distance as she could from Tao until she figured out a plan.

"Oh come now. I'm just taking a little off the top."

She found her back against a wall and ducked under a horizontal slash, seeing the blade cut into the wall behind her with ease. A horizontal slash she sidestepped left the wall with a plus-like mark.

 _"If I can't block it..."_

Tao saw what looked like Pan running around him rapidly... almost like she was splitting into two.

"Are there... two of you?"

He swung at each of them, seeing his blade touch nothing at all, and the images of her running still there.

 _"Good. Just have to keep avoiding them."_

Tao began to lose patience with Pan's tactic, and each of his swings became less precise and more frantic. Pan kept avoiding them, but saw a few hairs off her head from the last swing.

 _"He's losing it, but he's also getting closer to getting me. Gotta get that sword away from him... or..."_

At last, one of the images of Pan stopped moving and instead stood in front of him. Tao aimed right for her as he then recognized a technique...

"SOLAR FLARE!"

Tao had shielded his eyes with his wrist and partially with his sword. After having seen Tao use the Dodon Ray earlier, Pan had to at least anticipate the possibility that he would know of the Solar Flare as well. Even then, it still worked to her advantage. With her hand not only charging, but overflowing with ki, she threw a punch aimed right at the sword itself.

 ***CLATTER!***

The top half of the blade shattered, turning the bottom half into little more than a blunt-looking dagger.

In spite of this, Tao quickly threw the blade downward towards Pan's leg. She moved to avoid it, but found that it had gone through her the bottom of one of her track pants' legs, pinning her to the ground. He jumped high into the air, then unveiled a grenade.

"Sayanara!"

He threw it downward at her as hard as he could as Pan tugged her leg as hard as she could, knowing the sword was deep embedded in the ground. As the grenade got closer, she finally kicked upward, tearing part of the pant leg's bottom while knocking the grenade away from her.

Tao saw the grenade coming back to him, but also saw Pan leaping upward after him. He knocked the grenade back down, but also towards where Pan would be, leading her to kick it back up to where Tao was headed.

At this point, the two were playing a game of badminton with the grenade, her striking it to him with kicks and him swatting it back down to her. Both knew the fuse didn't have long now and each strike was now desperate to be the last one. Tao almost look frightened with his last hit, lucky it didn't go off on him then, whereas Pan thrust her hand forward, a gust of air pushing the grenade so she didn't have to touch it herself.

 ***BOOM!***

After the grenade detonated, only a short distance from this Tao suffering the same fate as the true Tao, he saw Pan flying right for him as he began descending. He tried to recover in midair and even took aim with his finger...

"DODON RAY!"

...only to find Pan using a hand covered in ki to stop the blast. From there, before Tao could act, Pan flew into him and the two slammed straight downward into the ground.

The dust settled and by the time she saw him in the aftermath, Tao was lying at the bottom of a crater. Tao slowly began to lift his upper body upward, but his legs were buried under the rubble. Instead of trying to get out of the hole he was in with his freed hand, he instead took aim at Pan. Even now, this mercenary would try to accomplish his mission.

"DODON...!"

A punch to his face forced him back down, then, as Pan stood at the ready, saw he was out like a light.

 _"...is that a wrap?"_

Green font emerged in the air spelling "Finish!" With the five defeated, Pan had succeeded. As each individual pixel of the environment began to disperse, revealing the original chamber, Pan saw her bandanna flowing in the artificial air and caught it.

* * *

Having exited the chamber and putting her bandanna back on her head, she saw Commander Hale waiting for her.

"Congratulations, Pan. Like your comrade Umiu, you are now a member of the 20's."

Just then, Pan turned to see Amura returning as well.

"Amura, is Umiu okay?" asked Pan.

She nodded back to Pan as Hale walked closer to both of them.

"Rest assurred, I won't allow any of you to be killed in the simulation."

Amura, however, still had a few drops of Umiu's blood on the side of her uniform from carrying him, didn't seem so sure.

"Umiu barely walked away from that. How do I know I won't get ripped to shreds?"

Hale, whom was much taller than Amura, knelt down to her eye level.

"The job of a Time Patroller always involves a threat to one's life. This simulation comes as close as it can to the real thing to best prepare you all for it. After Umiu suffered that wound, I offered him the chance to end the simulation and try again, but he told me he wanted to see it through to the end."

 _"Umiu took that clawed attack... but he didn't stop until the battle was won."_

Amura finally began to understand.

"...because when the time comes, we have to be able to fight on, even in the face of death... for time's sake."

She no longer had doubt on her face, but instead determination to see this through. She tapped Pan on the shoulder.

"Good job... but I'll catch up with you soon."

Pan nodded back to Amura as Hale placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You've more than earned your rest for today, Pan. We'll resume training tomorrow."

Now with his say to leave, Pan left the two, intending to get much rest and relaxation after all the fighting prior.

* * *

That night, Pan's dream left her recalling a time when she, her father, her mother, and her grandmother went on a trip to a forest area. Young Pan wasn't sure what they were doing there, but throughout the way there, marveled at all of the wild life they encountered, including a small deer.

Gohan, Videl, and Chi-Chi kept a careful eye on Pan as she interacted with it, gently patting its head with a smile on her face.

After a long day of traveling on foot, they came across a village filled with tents and at the center of it a large tower.

"Pan..." began Chi-Chi. "This is Korin's Tower."

"How do you know of the tower?" asked a voice unfamiliar to Pan.

The four turned, seeing a dark-skinned man with braided black hair with a feather atop it, a tan vest and pants, and two painted lines on his cheeks. Upon seeing their faces, the man began to smile at them.

"...Gohan?"

He turned to see Gohan's mother.

"...Chi-Chi?"

Finally, he looked over at Videl and Pan, the latter of whom didn't know what to think of him.

"...I don't believe I've met these two, Gohan."

"This is my wife Videl and our daughter Pan."

Upa put out his hand to shake Videl's hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Videl."

He then turned to Pan.

"As well as you Pan, the granddaughter of Goku."

"You knew my grandpa Goku?" inquired Pan.

"Long ago, Goku saved my life... and my father as well."

From behind Upa, an even taller man with grey-white hair approached them.

"Telling the tale of Goku again, are you?" this man asked Upa.

Pan looked to him, almost nervous at his stature.

"Pan, honey..." began Videl, putting her arms around her daughter to comfort her.

Upa gestured his hand towards the large man.

"This is my father, Bora."

After being reaquainted with Gohan and Chi-Chi, he saw Videl and Pan, as well as the latter almost hiding from him.

"Any family of Goku's is ours as well."

Bora sat down in front of Pan and Videl with his legs crossed.

"It's okay, Pan." said Videl.

"Bora's a friend." added Chi-Chi.

"He and Upa have known Goku before I was even born."

"Really?" asked Pan.

Pan was finally starting to relax and not only approached Bora, but even sat down with her legs crossed like he was.

"Your father was a great fighter and it was thanks to him that I'm still here."

He reached out his hand to Pan, whose hands could barely cover his palm.

"His legacy is safe in your hands, little one."

* * *

Pan woke up not from the dream ending, but from loud knocking on her door. She stumbled out of bed to greet whoever was there. Upon opening the door, she saw Trunks, whom looked panicked.

"It's an emergency, Pan! Get dressed and meet me at the Time Nest right away!"

While still waking up, Pan understood the distress in his voice and got into her usual attire, as well as the Time Patrol jacket and cape she had been given last time.

* * *

Upon her and Trunks getting through the gateway, they ran towards the library.

"Toh?"

The large owl from nearby stood on a perch, looking over at the two.

"Whose that?" asked Pan.

"I'll tell you another time!" answered Trunks, whom pushed the door open.

* * *

As Trunks finally slowed down, picking up a scroll from the table, Pan waited to hear what the emergency was.

"This'll be a lot to take in, so be ready for it."

Pan nodded, understanding that Trunks was choosing to give her the full truth.

"This scroll covers the fateful day in which Goku and Piccolo teamed up against Raditz... Goku's own brother."

"Hold up..."

Pan put out her hand, needing to take a moment to take this new information in.

"Goku has a brother... and I have a grand-uncle?"

Trunks was about to answer when Pan put her hand out once more.

"...and wait, what are my grandpa and Piccolo doing fighting together after what happened last time?"

"Oh, that? Goku made the decision to spare him so that he could have a rival to fight."

"So... was he a good guy then?"

"Not quite. He still had world domination and revenge in mind, but he and Goku found a common threat in Raditz."

"And back to Raditz... no one ever mentioned my grandpa having a brother. Where was he all this time?"

"Raditz was a vicious Saiyan warrior who kidnapped Gohan and tried to kill your grandfather, Piccolo, and your father."

"Guess that's why my dad never brought him up."

"...and even then, he was killed and never returned after the fact."

Pan paused for a moment, then thought back to how Trunks had described Raditz.

"So when you say Raditz was a vicious Saiyan, you mean he was one of the bad ones?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was always told the Saiyans loved fighting. So if Raditz was threatening his own family, he was one of the bad ones... right?"

Trunks took a breath, then readied himself for the explanation to come.

"Raditz' viciousness was actually in keeping with Saiyan tradition."

"How so?"

"Saiyans were... well..."

"Tell me."

Trunks could tell Pan wanted the full version, even with how much it would flip her world upside down.

"The Saiyans were a brutal and militant race of warriors that sought to prove themselves the strongest in the universe. They not only conquered planets, but often cleared out their entire populations."

There went Pan's childhood image of Saiyans being heroes like Goku and Vegeta fighting against villains, now replaced by those same aliens committing genocide. And it was then she recalled learning of Frieza wiping them out.

"...so then why did Frieza wipe them out?"

"At first, the Saiyans were subjugated under Frieza, clearing out planets for him to sell, but upon believing them to be a threat, he destroyed the planet and nearly wiped them all out... except for you grandfather, my father, and a few others."

Pan was conflicted: on one hand, Frieza wiping out the Saiyans sounded like an injustice to her, but considering all they committed...

"How come my grandpa was so different from them?"

"A nearly fatal injury to his head as a baby, after which he was the man my parents knew."

"...and if it wasn't for that..."

"He would have followed in the footsteps of his father and his older brother and may very well have wiped out all life on Earth."

Trunks saw Pan crouching down for just a moment, deep in thought.

"To think what my grandpa would've done..."

"I'm sorry, Pan... but Goku and Piccolo need your help. I have the feeling after your last success, whoever's doing this may try something else to throw us off."

Pan got up, seeing Trunks with the scroll in his hand for her to grab.

"It's fine. Gotta protect history and my family... even if it is from a relative."

She began to grip the scroll when Trunks put his hand out for her to wait.

"One last thing, and this is critical: both Raditz and your grandfather died to an attack of Piccolo's."

Pan had heard of her grandfather dying in the Cell Games... but not before... and not by Piccolo, who at this point was a villain...

"...but Goku sacrificed himself to ensure Raditz was defeated. And he was brought back to life a year later with the Dragon Balls."

As much as he wanted to be nurturing to Pan, who was taking in so much information that was shaking the very cores of her person, he knew he had to be strict here.

"Which is why you absolutely cannot interfere with Piccolo's killing blow to both of them. Ensure Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan survive against Raditz, of course, but you have to maintain Goku's death by Piccolo to stop Raditz, no matter how much it will hurt to see."

Before, Pan was protecting her grandfather, making sure he survived his battle, and now she had to protect him until the right time for him to die. History depended on her, so she knew she had to do it...

...but could she really bring herself to just sit and watch when the time came?

 _"It's for history... it's for my dad..."_

"Got it."

She closed her eyes and gripped the scroll as white light covered her person before she vanished.

* * *

 **Age 761**

Goku and Piccolo stood before Raditz, both having taken off their weighted clothes to best stand a change against their fearsome opponent who oozed confidence.

"Last chance, Kakarrot," Raditz offered. "Join me and the remaining Saiyan race... your real family."

"My family's right here," answered Goku.

"Do as your brother says. These Earthlings are beneath you and me."

"I don't care if I'm an alien and I don't care if you're my brother. I'm not going to let you take my son."

"This would've been avoided if you had just given me a hundred bodies... but if you won't join me... then you will..."

He was interrupted by a white glow next to Goku, which then revealed itself to be Pan. At first, Goku and Piccolo looked at her like she was a total stranger...

But then a flash went on in both their heads: of their prior battle during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

"Hey, I know you..." recalled Goku. "You were the one that helped me in the tournament."

"And I remember you were that brat that stood in my way," snarled Piccolo, though this slowly morphed into curiosity. "But it's been five years and yet... you look the exact same."

"I don't know about that, Piccolo. I think that cape and jacket's new."

Raditz didn't know what to make of this.

"What's this? An Earthling has come to watch your defeat?"

Seeing Pan remaining in place, he pointed to her.

"If you know what's good for you, you will not interfere."

Goku and Piccolo weren't confident, but they felt some relief at having another person with them.

"Maybe you're stronger than all three of us..." admitted Piccolo. "But I'd say the numerical advantage is ours now."

"You really think one more body will make a difference? Another piece of trash... is still just trash."

He still didn't see any of the three quivering in fear of him.

"Underestimating me, are you?"

He began stepping forward slowly, a faint purple aura forming around him.

"You think of me as a joke like my comrades do, is that it?!"

Now a red glow was over his eyes.

* * *

The Supreme Kai of Time had entered the library, seeing Trunks looking over the events unfolding.

"What's going on, Trunks?"

"Something's not right. Raditz is acting out."

She looked over, noting the evil Saiyan's glow.

"That aura..."

"Is it the same as before?"

"No. This is..."

* * *

Raditz not only saw the power flowing around him, but felt it through his being.

"I'll show you... and I'll show you with suffering!"

All three moved toward Raditz, ready to strike first, but then...

Goku and Piccolo lost sight of him, then were each struck by an elbow to the back of their heads. Pan could hardly react to his movements either.

 _"Piccolo was fast... but this..."_

By the time she perceived Raditz coming right for her, a knee struck her in the stomach. The impact sent her flying backwards onto her shoulder, which grinding against the dirt before she finally came to a stop. She tried getting up...

And spat out in pain. The day before, she had taken hits from five villains... but Raditz's hit struck harder than any of them.

 _"He's not just stronger than me... he's..."_

* * *

As the Supreme Kai of Time and Trunks listened in to Pan's thoughts, they knew something was terribly wrong.

"Last time with Piccolo, he was simply restored to full energy. But this..."

"Is Raditz now far stronger than a Saibamen?"

"Raditz doesn't just have a power boost. Whoever's doing this... they've given him far more power than he should be able to possess."

"You mean he's..."

"His power's greater than all four of them."


	12. Goku's Brother Raditz! Saiyan Cruelty!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

"It's been several weeks and your formula..."

The same two figures who interfered with Goku and Piccolo's battle were now watching Raditz' complete domination over his two opponents.

"I've greatly enhanced its effects. It doesn't just restore power: it strengthens it. In his case, a low-power Saiyan with the might of an elite."

"And the Time Patroller?"

They looked to see her a short distance away, still trying to get off of her back.

"A few weeks of training won't save her now. And if she interferes... he'll make her suffer."

* * *

 _"One hit... he only landed one hit... and I'm..."_

Pan had been struck by Piccolo in their prior battle. The day before, she had been struck by two knees falling right onto her stomach. But this strike by Raditz outclassed all of them.

She finally made it onto her knees, slowly lifting her upper body upward, and saw Goku and Piccolo's efforts for naught against him:

They had both tried combining their efforts only for him to block each of them with each hand. Then Raditz floated high above as the two of them flew upward.

Goku and Piccolo almost reacted too late as he fired off two purple beams from his hands, swerving to evade them. From where she was, Pan saw the impact of one of them towards a set of mountains, leaving an explosion far greater than the one Piccolo unleashed.

Raditz began cackling upon their landing, hardly having used up any of his reserves from his last attacks.

"Oh, is something wrong? Missing anything important?"

Goku and Pan finally noticed that Piccolo's left arm was missing: seared off by the prior beam.

 _"His arm... did Piccolo...?"_

* * *

Trunks stood in the Time Nest ready to answer her inquiry.

"Yes, he did lose his left arm in the battle, though he'd go on to regenerate it afterward. So far, everything in their battle's gone the same way it's supposed to..."

"But Raditz's power..." began the Supreme Kai of Time. "He was strong, easily the strongest foe Goku and Piccolo ever faced at that point... but he shouldn't be this powerful."

Goku and Piccolo both were panting heavily.

"They shouldn't be nearly as exhausted at this moment. They're still going now, but with Raditz's power-up, I fear they both may be..."

* * *

Pan got back on her feet, pushing past the pain she still felt.

 _"I won't let that happen."_

Piccolo, believing Raditz to be standing idly waiting, turned over to Goku.

"Tell me, Goku... any new techniq..?"

Raditz interrupted Piccolo's inquiry to Goku with an immediate strike that the Namekian barely blocked with his remaining arm.

* * *

The Supreme Kai of Time took notice of this.

"This can't be right! He was supposed to stand back and allow Goku and Piccolo to form a plan. You have to keep Raditz at bay!"

* * *

Pan made her way to the three.

 _''"I'm on it!"''_

Goku and Piccolo both tried stopping Raditz's offensive with guards, talking it out during their desperate stand.

"Afraid I'm fresh out," answered Goku.

"Hmph," scoffed Piccolo. "You've kept lazy."

Raditz, instead of letting them carry on their conversation as per history, actively tried to break it up, and finally managed to send both off their feet, Goku with a leg trip and Piccolo with a sweeping chop.

With two ki-covered hands, he was ready to fire down upon his brother and the Namekian...

...he sensed Pan flying in for a punch from behind. He span, avoiding it while swinging his tail into her back, knocking her downward. By the time he turned to blast Goku and Piccolo, the two had jumped out of the way.

"I was saving it for you, Goku... but I have something."

"Sure you can pull it off with one arm?"

"If you keep him occupied."

"Worth a shot."

After being sent across the ground, Pan dug her fingers into the ground to slow down, then stood back up. She saw Piccolo standing back as Goku charged back to Raditz.

 _"Good,"_ began Trunks. _"It looks like Piccolo's finally starting off his plan."_

 _"I'll go give my grandpa cover."_

Raditz moved his right hand side-to-side stopping Goku's punches, the largest grin on his face at how easily he was stopping his little brother.

"This power..." he started, more than capable of realizing the newfound increase in power at his fingertips. "It's overflowing in me."

As he said this, he moved his hand behind his head, blocking another strike from Pan.

"There are two more Saiyans besides myself..."

Raditz then threw out a punch from each hand, which Goku and Pan had to catch with both their hands.

"Both of them stronger than me..."

Both Goku and Pan strained to hold back his individual mere limbs, their feet being slowly dragged back.

 _"This guy, my great-uncle, whose overpowering us... is the weakest of the three?"_

"But now... with this..."

He floated off his feet and span in place, tossing Goku and Pan aside.

"I'm not their weakling anymore. After I'm done with you, I'll show them just how powerful I really am."

 _"Raditz planning to go against his comrades?"_ began the Supreme Kai of Time. _"That could be disastrous if he succeeds here."_

Piccolo placed his index and middle fingers over his forehead, charging his whole body with ki.

 _"Look, Piccolo's starting to power up for his move,"_ began Trunks. _"Help Goku keep Raditz occupied."_

Pan got ready as Goku, looking over at her, seemed to know her plan as well. They both flew at Raditz, whom cockily stood in place.

They both kept their full attention on Raditz, whom humored them with attempts to stop him. They hoped their efforts would keep Raditz occupied away from Piccolo so his attack would succeed.

Slowly, Raditz's small smirk turned into a large smile as he began using more and more power with each strike. First, Goku and Pan were guarding against them. Then they began to stagger with each block.

At last, their guards were completely broken, leaving them both free to be struck back by Raditz. Both flew back, but while Pan was on her feet shortly afterward, she saw Goku leapt high into the air, his hands together and with a white glow between his fingers.

Raditz took notice of this, but he then saw Pan firing ki bullets at him. A ball of purple ki formed in his hands as the bolts harmlessly dissolved upon impact.

"So slow."

He saw Pan shifting her legs to move, so he fired off another purple projectile, which struck Pan before she could side-step it. Once she was hit, she felt stuck in place, not unlike the effect from General Blue the day before.

 _"Damn it! I'm..."_

"Kamehameha!"

She turned her eyes over at Goku firing off his move, but...

 _"Wait... his aim's completely off. He'll only hit the ground beneath him."_

But with a turn of his wrists, the beam changed its course towards Raditz.

 _"...Grandpa bent his Kamehameha?"_

All this time, Raditz didn't even move, only putting out a single hand in front of him. The Kamehameha collided with him, but by the time it finally dissipated, Raditz still stood.

 _"He stopped it with just one hand... and he's not even the worse for wear."_

She heard that Raditz was killed by Piccolo, but after all she saw Raditz do so far, she almost began to doubt if it that was even possible.

After pulling off that move, Goku found he couldn't get out of the way of Raditz's projectile attack. He fell back towards the ground, looking unable to move.

 _"The same move he used on me..."_

Once he hit the ground, Goku looked up, seeing Raditz ready to strike him down...

...but then Raditz felt Pan grabbing hold of his arm, trying to pull him away.

"Foolish Earth...!"

"Special Beam..."

Upon hearing Piccolo's voice, he took his attention away from Pan.

"Cannon!"

Raditz saw just a glimpse of a yellow beam leaving Piccolo's fingers. Even with all the power he had now and after stopping the Kamehameha, the idea of this attack hitting him was terrifying.

Pan let go of Raditz, then hopped upward, striking his back with both her feet.

 _"Pan!"_ shouted Trunks. _"What are you doing?!"_

She saw the beam coming for both of them and fell onto her back, seeing the spiraling beam passing over her.

 _"You could've changed history right there!"_ scolded the Supreme Kai of Time. _"You're lucky you didn't!"_

* * *

"Huh. That girl almost did our work for us there. A shame Raditz was just fast enough."

* * *

Pan saw that Raditz had moved to the left, the only damage done to his left shoulder piece and part of his shoulder.

"I have to admit, slug... it's a good thing that didn't hit me."

He charged purple ki in one hand, pointed at Piccolo.

"And as for you..."

He had his other hand pointed down at Pan, whom knew even if she got up right then, the ki in that hand would still hit her.

"Those who try to kill a Saiyan... will not ge...!"

He couldn't finish his sentence: his face grimaced as Goku had managed to grab hold of his tail and pulled. Soon after, the ki left his hands and he was forced onto his knees.

"You got careless," taunted Goku. "I may not have a tail now, but I'll always remember how much it hurt when someone pulled on it."

He turned over to his rival-turned-temporary ally.

"Piccolo, can you do it again?"

The Namekian grinned, then placed his hand and two fingers back over his head.

"I have enough to pull off another... but only once more, so don't let go of his tail."

 _"So... should I get going or do I need to stick around?"_

 _"Hmm..."_ began the Supreme Kai of Time. _"Try to leave discreetly while they're occupi..."_

"Brother, please...!" cried out Raditz. "I was only bluffing."

"You tried to kill me, you took my son, and you threatened to kill him!" shouted Goku.

"I would never kill you or your son. Never! It was only a test. You have to believe me, brother."

Piccolo overheard all of this, then, remembering Pan was there fighting alongside them, turned to her as she tried backing away.

"You there! Girl! Quickly! Grab his tail!"

 _"Guess I'm staying here."_

She began stepping forward towards Raditz...

 _"You can't!"_ shouted the Supreme Kai of Time. _"If Goku survives, the changes to history will be unfathomable."_

Pan knew as much as she wanted her grandfather to live, she had to let this happen.

 _"Damn it..."_

Piccolo saw Pan standing, no longer moving.

"What the hell are you waiting for?!"

She could only watch as Raditz's silver tongue worked its charm on Goku.

"I'll leave... I'll never come back. Let me go now and I swear to you no more Saiyans will ever come to your planet."

"Swear on your life, Raditz!"

"Yes!" Raditz managed to draw a tear from his eye. "Yes, I swear it on my life!"

Goku had faced his older brother, whom toyed with him and taunted him this whole time, but now there he was begging for mercy.

"Don't listen to him, Goku!" shouted Piccolo. "It's a trick!"

He turned back to Raditz, looking less like the menacing figure from earlier and more like a weeping child.

"He swore on his life."

His hands began to loosen.

"Now get off my planet and never..."

An elbow interrupted Goku as Raditz gleefully struck him away, now that his tail was freed.

"Damn it, Goku!" cried Piccolo.

He then turned to Pan.

"And you... you idiot! We would have finished him off if you hadn't froze up!"

They both turned to see Goku's back finally touching the ground, followed immediately by a knee to his chest by Raditz.

 _"GRANDPA!"_

He spat and screamed out in pain, grabbing onto Raditz's leg while his older brother appeared rather pleased.

"Oh, I'm sorry, brother. Was that your ribs?"

He lifted up his foot and stomped on Goku once more.

"A real warrior kills their opponent where they stand... show no mercy, even to their own brother."

He turned over to Piccolo and placed both his arms outward.

"Go on." taunted Raditz. "Take your shot."

Piccolo already knew why he couldn't.

"You'll just dodge it," confessed Piccolo.

He tilted his head to the side, feeling only the faintest touch of Pan's fist glancing by his cheek.

"Earthling..."

With a swing of his wrist, Pan was knocked to the ground behind him.

"Wait your turn."

He turned back to Goku.

"Now Kakarot... beg."

Raditz stomped on his chest again, taking a sadistic joy in it.

"I want to hear you beg for mercy! Do it!"

Goku was in too much pain to even speak.

"You'll beg with your last breath, mark my word!"

He kept stomping over and over, Pan making her way back...

...she heard a shout from a four year old boy, but with the fury of a raging warrior.

Raditz saw his pod, which held Gohan, was broken apart by the young half-Saiyan, floating in the air and snarling his teeth at him. Pan had seen pictures of a young Gohan at Chi-Chi's house, but it was still surreal seeing her father as a child before her.

"Stop hurting... MY DADDY!"

 _"That's it!"_ exclaimed Trunks. _"Once Gohan can get in one hit, the battle will be all over."_

Gohan flew towards Raditz head-first, to the panic of even the powered-up Raditz.

* * *

"Not for long."

* * *

A flash of purple went across Raditz, along with a red glare in his eyes. His terrorized face turned into a smile as he flew to the side, Gohan missing him and eventually crashing back down to the ground.

 _"No!"_ cried out the Supreme Kai of Time. _"The power-up made him fast enough to avoid it!"_

Raditz then fired off a one-handed blast at Gohan.

"Watch, Kakarot!"

Goku was horrified at the sight.

"RADITZ, STOOOP!"

 _"Dad, NO!"_

Without even having to be told to, Pan flew towards her father as quickly as she could.

Goku and Piccolo looked over in terror at Gohan's fate, but also at the girl flying directly in Gohan's direction.

 ***BOOM!***

They looked and saw Gohan a short distance away from the crater the blast had created. He was untouched, save for some dirt on his clothes.

"My son... she..."

Pan was crouching a few feet from Gohan.

"You saved that brat?!" inquired Raditz, whom then began laughing for a reason Goku and Piccolo didn't realize. "Look at what good it did you!"

She was gripping her left arm, whose jacket sleeve was seared off and whose skin was heavily scarred. The arm didn't appear to move as she grit her teeth at the burn of the wound.

"No matter."

He put his hand towards Goku.

"Now he can watch his father go first."

She dove out in front of Goku, taking the blast head-on with ki covering her body. Piccolo suspected something about her.

 _"That girl's been trying to protect Goku since she got here... and five years ago. Just what is Goku to her?"_

Raditz was starting to get irritated by her intrusions.

"Annoying little Earthling. Are you so eager to die you'd throw yourself in front of my attacks?"

Even with her ki managing to block it, it still took a lot out of her.

"Be patient: I'll put you out of your misery..."

His two glowing hands turned back toward Gohan.

"After I've finished with family affairs."

 _"None of this is supposed to be happening, right? Now what am I supposed to do?!"_

 _"Goku may make a move to save Gohan, but without Raditz taking that critical blow, it'll be for nothing,"_ explained Trunks. _"All you can do now is try to get his attention... maybe even do damage to him to set Gohan up for another strike to him."_

Pan thought of all the moves she could try and her mind narrowed it down to one: a move her mother Videl had taught her, but also one her mother told her not to use lightly, for it could likely kill a normal human. Obviously Raditz wasn't an ordinary human, but Pan hoped it would strike true and hard.

Goku hopped off his feet toward Raditz, whom caught him by his neck.

"Oh brother... like these pathetic Earthlings, you are so predictable."

 _"Let's see you predict this!"_

A kick by Pan struck the side of Raditz' neck. He spat out, then stumbled backward after the fact, dropping Goku. He put his right hand over the side, feeling some blood dripping from it.

"Y... you..."

Pan punched with her right, which Raditz caught with his left...

"You'll pa...!"

A knee to his groin made him nearly forced him off his feet, though he soon saw himself being tossed head-first into a tree by Pan's arm.

"You..." began Goku in amazement. "You actually landed a hard hit on him."

Piccolo was just as shocked.

"She... she managed to hurt him."

His head poking through the tree, Raditz then tore himself out, though his right hand still tended to his neck. Pan had punched at the tree, Raditz barely ducking in time. He tripped her with his legs, but then saw that in spite of this, she rotated herself in midair facing him still.

Her fist swung at his right cheek, this time drawing some blood and leaving a bruise.

 _"Keep going, but whatever you do, don't hit his scouter!"_ cautioned the Supreme Kai of Time.

She adjusted her two-legged kick, striking the right side of his face, hitting his forehead and making his cheek bruise even more noticable.

This time, he was knocked through the entire tree, tearing through it before stopping himself with both hands: he finally let go of his neck wound.

"You... you struck my neck... made me, a Saiyan, bleed."

With a look of fury, he zoomed straight for Pan.

"You wretched human!"

Pan got herself ready for his assault and kept up with her right arm, moving it rapidly to block, as well as ducking and hopping over high and low strikes.

Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan all watched this transpire: Pan looked to be turning the tables against Raditz in that moment.

* * *

"If she's overpowering Raditz..."

"That would appear to be the case, but she won't keep this up for long."

* * *

The intial fury Pan unleashed was starting to slow: she was doing all this work with just one arm while her opponent still had two healthy arms to work with.

Raditz took notice of this as well, seeing her left arm was not participating. His frustration in the face of her attacks turned to focus as his left hand gripped her right tightly and pulled it away from her.

She saw his right poised for a chop and, without time to avoid it, went for a block with her left.

 _"Oh sh...!"_

Just realizing what she was doing, she felt the full impact to her left arm and even her left shoulder.

 ***CRACK!***

Not only had that chop struck the wound, causing it to bleed further, but it practically dislocated her left arm, robbing it of all feeling save for the pain.

Pan could barely stand, gripping her left even tighter than before.

"Thought you could get away with that, did you?!"

Raditz, seeing his right palm still covered with blood from his neck, approached her slowly.

"I'll make you pay for that ten times over!"

* * *

From their screen, the two figures saw Raditz going all-out on Pan, whom was in no position to guard effectively, taking blow after blow.

"See? It was only temporary. Now Raditz will show the Time Patrol just what happens to those who interfere with our work."

* * *

With a clothesline-esque swing, Pan was slammed down onto her back. Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan saw the extent of the beating so far: her cape was torn to shreds, her jacket and shirt had several tears, and her bare knees were exposed through holes in her pants.

"Get up."

She looked up at Raditz standing to her side, looking down at her, his anger still prevalent, but his cocky attitude returning to him: he was waiting for her instead of just attacking outright.

 _"Pan, get out of there, now!"_ shouted Trunks.

 _"Trunks, you know she can't do that!"_ the Supreme Kai of Time shouted back. _"If she does, Raditz might follow her, and you know what that would mean!"_

 _"But Pan's..."_

 _"She's right, Trunks."_ began Pan, trying to speak as calmly as she could even in her condition. _"Every second he's focused on me buys Grandpa, Piccolo, and my dad time to win this."_

She made her way back up to Raditz's amusement. Pan went for a kick to his neck, but he took hold of her leg, then swung her downward, knocking her onto her side. He grabbed hold of Pan by her left arm, practically dragging her off the ground and holding her out in front of him eye-to-eye.

Pan moved her right hand...

...and it was caught by Raditz before she could even think of where to strike.

"Heh."

With another knee to her stomach, equal to the one that hit her before, Pan should've gone flying, but was reeled back by Raditz's arms pulling her back.

He released Pan's arms and grabbed hold of both sides of her head, then pulled her in his direction while readying the same knee.

Goku, Piccolo, and Gohan at first could only guess as to the impact of the hit until they saw something scatter to the ground. Gohan, in particular, was in dismay at this.

Upon the knee striking her, Pan not only felt a pain in her jaw, as well some blood leaving her mouth...

...but saw a few of her teeth flying out.

 _"My... my..."_

Raditz grabbed hold of her by her shoulders, then hovered off the ground with her before moving his head backward. A mighty headbutt sent her back to the ground, further bruising on her forehead and nose.

* * *

"Supreme Kai of Time, we can't just stand here! She's getting killed out there!"

"You and I both know what will happen if we get her out now or if you interfere."

"How can you be calm at a time like this?! Just look at her!"

Trunks would never talk to the Supreme Kai of Time like this, but the sight of Pan in this state made him forgo his normal formalities.

"I don't enjoy this, Trunks!" shouted back the Supreme Kai of Time before recomposing herself. "But there's too much at stake. All we can do is help her from here."

* * *

Raditz looked down at her once again, gesturing with his hand.

"Get up."

Pan lied, seeing a few of her teeth lying next to her in the crater.

"A few loose teeth and you're done, is that it?"

He turned back towards his family members.

"Then I guess I'll just let you lick your wounds while I deal with Kakarot."

It was a struggle just to try lifting herself up with one arm, but the thought of what Raditz was going to do to them...

 _"I won't let him hurt them any more!"_

She ran towards him for a right punch, but he easily sidestepped it, then grabbed her by the back of her head.

"Leave her alone, Raditz!" Goku shouted. "This is between you and me!"

He forced her head face-first into the ground.

"She chose to get involved, brother."

Raditz placed his boot onto the side of her head, just barely holding back enough from stepping on her with all his might.

"And now she has to learn the price for interference."

* * *

"Damn it all!" shouted Trunks. "If only Raditz' hadn't have avoided Gohan's blow..."

 _"Could my dad do it again?"_ Pan asked.

"But he..."

Trunks had to think on this quickly, but then...

"He just needs the proper motivation to unleash his rage."

 _"I have an idea. It's all I've got now..."_

* * *

Pan decided to take a play from her grand-uncle's playbook.

"Raditz, please stop...!"

He stopped for a moment, hearing her speak for the first time, as well as referring to him by name.

"I'll... I'll never interfere again. I swear it to you. Please, I beg you... let me live."

She already had enough tears in her eyes to sell it.

"Please... I don't want to die."

He took his foot off of her, and Pan turned towards Gohan, then as he was in her sight...

A stomp to her back.

"You hear that, Kakarot?! How easily these Earthlings give up?!"

Gohan was terrified at everything: seeing his father in such a poor state, this mysterious green man missing an arm, and this girl who had just saved him earlier being beaten and tortured before him.

"Their weakness has rubbed off on you, brother... made you puny like them."

And yet, there Pan was, looking right at Gohan. She pointed at him with her right hand, then was mouthing something with her lips. He tried making out what she was trying to say.

"You..."

Gohan was positive she was addressing him, then saw her pointing upward at Raditz.

"I may have been a disappointment to my father, but you... you are a stain on our race."

Pan pointed back to Gohan, then, as she mouthed four words, pointed back at Raditz.

"You can do it."

The four year old didn't know if he could do anything at this point: as far as it looked, Raditz avoided him before and was a match for everyone around him.

"You, like this Earthling..."

A ball of ki held from his hand began searing at Pan's back.

"Will learn your place in the universe before you d..."

Another angry shout from Gohan.

Raditz saw his nephew flying towards him once again, and moved to the side once more...

But something kept him from moving: Pan had gripped his tail with her hand.

 _"She lied to me... like I lied to Kakarot..."_

As he contemplate this, with a tug, Pan pulled Raditz back in Gohan's direction.

 ***CRACK!***

Gohan's headbutt not only damaged his Saiyan chestpiece, but critically injured him as well. He could only stagger backwards, grasping his chest area.

Pan looked over to see if Gohan was okay, seeing him hit the ground once more with his eyes closed.

"Gohan!" shouted Goku.

 _"Don't worry, Pan,"_ the Supreme Kai of Time reassured. _"Your father's just unconscious."_

Raditz managed to stop and turned around towards Gohan.

"I'll kill you... and everyone on this planet when I'm done with your son."

As one hand still gripped his chest, the other charged.

"No more playing around. Now he dies!"

Goku gripped Raditz with a full nelson, throwing off his aim as the blast fired far from Gohan.

"Piccolo!"

The Namekian heard Goku's cry for help and stood ready.

"Now's your chance! Your attack... do it!"

A grin went over Piccolo's face, possibly at the idea of getting the chance to eliminate two of his enemies at once.

"Goku, you surprise even me..."

Somehow, in spite of the beatings Goku took and the fact he didn't even have his tail, Raditz couldn't seem to break free from his younger brother's grip.

"Kakarot... you'll kill us both! Let me go and I'll do anything... anything!"

Goku had learned from his mistake: Raditz would promise anything to live, but the second he would be free, he'd be back to his cruel self. Raditz's words fell on deaf ears.

* * *

"This is your last chance, Raditz..."

* * *

The purple aura covered only Raditz's legs as he began to float straight upward, Goku still grabbing onto him.

Piccolo couldn't believe it.

"Damn it... I can't hit him on the move."

Pan was barely crouched over seeing this.

 _"Is this part of history?"_

 _"Another change,"_ answered Trunks. _"A last-ditch effort, I'm sure of it. If Raditz gets away..."_

 _"What to do... what to do..."_

Hitting Raditz with a blast seemed too risky: it could also hit Goku as well, possibly causing him to lose his grip.

She could try a one-handed Kamehameha to propel herself up to him... but she had no guarantee she could pull it off successfully.

 _"...unless..."_

She pushed herself off the ground onto her feet, trying as hard as she could to keep her balance while looking up and anticipating where Raditz would be.

"Ka... me..."

Piccolo looked over at her, seeing a glow in her feet.

"Ha... me..."

He could see her shoes beginning to sear.

"Is that...?"

"HAAA!"

A Kamehameha from her feet launched her upward rapidly towards Raditz, who looked down in shock. She raised her right hand outward in a fist, which collided into the cracks in Raditz's armor.

As Pan zoomed past him after the hit, Raditz couldn't fly any higher, only keeping himself afloat. He saw Goku gritting his teeth.

"Kakarot, now don't...!"

And with all the rest of his might, Goku forced Raditz back down towards the ground. The moment their four feet met the surface...

"Special Beam CANNON!"

Now with no more ki to spare, Pan fell downward, watching the beam flying through Raditz... and behind him...

Her grandfather falling backward, a hole in the center of his chest.

 _"Grandpa..."_

With a flash of white, Pan disappeared. As soon as she left...

The tree that had fallen over was back up and rooted to the ground. The torn bits of Pan's cape and her teeth were nowhere in sight. Even the small wound on the side of Raditz's neck vanished away.

Piccolo, after getting his kill, could only wonder...

"Who is that girl and where did she...?"

From there, the thought completely left his mind, as if she were never there. Instead, a more terrifying thought...

"There are two more Saiyans?"

"...and they'll be here in one year for your Dragon Balls... and your planet."

Raditz, even now when he was about to meet his own demise, taunted Piccolo with the dreadful knowledge of what was to come.

* * *

"Supreme Kai of Time, Pan's done it! History's restored."

"I'll send her back now."

The two watched as a white glow entered the center of the room...

...followed by Pan appearing and falling onto her back. Trunks was too late to stop that, but kept her head from hitting the floor.

"Pan!"

He felt her neck with his hand for a pulse.

"She's alive..."

The Supreme Kai of Time gestured Trunks to the side as she placed her hands underneath Pan's head.

"I'll watch over her. Go get help."

Trunks flew out of the room quickly as she saw Pan's partially open mouth with a few teeth missing.

 _"Someone made Raditz strong enough to do this. Please... please don't be who I think it is..."_

* * *

"Damn him!"

One of the figures angrily slammed their staff into the ground.

"Damn that stupid Saiyan! I gave him more than enough power to beat them..."

"If I may..."

The taller figure waited as the shorter tried to calm down to better listen to what he had to say in response.

"Your formula gives them power and can alter their motives to an extent... but they are still themselves, their faults and all. In his case... his boastful nature and tendency to leave himself open."

The slender figure began to ponder.

"You're right, Mira. I should have realized Raditz was too poor a subject to carry this out."

"As for the next batch...?"

A burly bald Saiyan with facial hair and a shorter Saiyan with spiked hair emerged on their screen.

"If Raditz nearly killed her thanks to my experiment... she'll be no match for these two..."


	13. Imminent Danger! Fighting Memories!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

The Plaza of Time seemed somewhat crowded today for what seemed like a community gathering. Patrollers of all stripes, new and old, together.

Amura walked over to Hakusa, whom was cleaning her scouter's screen.

"You promised if I got stronger, you'd scan me again."

Hakusa finally finished scrubbing it with her glove, then placed it over her eye.

"Okay, here goes..."

A few seconds later and Amura eagerly awaited an answer.

"So... how strong am I now?"

Hakusa took off the scouter to show her...

"Not bad, but you've still got a way to go."

Amura seemed somewhat disappointed, but then chuckled as she recalled something...

"I almost forgot: you're way stronger because you're a Saiyan."

Hakusa sighed.

"This again? I've told you before, Amura, that there's more to it than just genetics. I started in the 10's too, you know."

"Oh, I'm not in the 10's anymore..."

Amura stood with her arms to her sides in human pride as Hakusa realized...

"Ah, you made it to the 20's? See? You're getting there."

"Just need a zenkai boost and I'd catch up to you in no time."

"Amura, you know, being a Saiyan isn't..."

"I NEED HELP OVER HERE!"

Both turned, immediately recognizing the voice coming from the Time Gate: Trunks. They were both caught off-guard by how panicked he was, as he always appeared and spoke in a reserved fashion.

Trunks, looking over at the horde of patrollers in front of him, looked over at those closest to him, including...

"Pima!"

The Saiyan loner turned over to Trunks, accepting he had been picked.

"Whatever you need..."

Trunks ran back through the gate as Pima followed. Whatever conversations went on before went dead quiet as no one knew what to expect. Amura turned over to Hakusa, whom even as a Saiyan wasn't immune to the shock of the moment.

"Hakusa... do you know what's going on?"

"I don't... but I hope it's not what I think it is."

"But what do you think it could be?"

Hakusa couldn't even answer back, nor could she hide her concerned look.

* * *

Pima didn't take the time to marvel at the Time Nest and followed Trunks closely as they finally entered the library. He found he had been summoned for...

 _"...her?"_

The Supreme Kai of Time still held Pan's head up off the floor as Trunks began lifting her up by her shoulders.

"Pima, I need you to help me keep her stable. Can't have too much movement."

He looked over at her, realizing why she was there.

 _"Out of all of us... they went with her to defend history?"_

"Pima!"

He looked back over at Trunks.

"Did you hear me?"

He got that out of his system and instead crouched down.

"Yes."

"Now when I say go, lift and keep her steady. Okay, and... go!"

* * *

Outside the Time Nest, Ziko remained by the gate, waiting for Trunks to return. As he caught a glance of his purple hair and his dark grey coat going through...

"EVERYONE BACK! Give them space!"

The patrollers backed up and as they saw Trunks appearing to be carrying someone, they began splitting up to create a clear path to the medical area.

"Double time, Pima!"

As they made their way out of the gateway area towards their intended destination, the crowd finally got a clear look at...

"That girl! The one that was found here!"

"That means... she's the one going on the big missions!"

Amura couldn't believe her eyes.

"Pan... she's the one?"

Hakusa couldn't even speak.

 _"I was afraid this would happen... and now it has."_

The secret was out: that day forward, everyone in Toki Toki City knew Pan was the patroller who did the biggest missions for the Supreme Kai of Time.

* * *

The Supreme Kai of Time sat at her table next to her living quarters in the Time Nest. The cup of tea next to her, which she heated for herself earlier, was cold and untouched. Even as a kai, her hands were shaking at the thought of recent events.

"Supreme Kai of Time!"

She turned to see Trunks approaching her.

"How is she?"

"Pan's stable and healing. Should be just a day longer."

While this should have been comforting to her, the Supreme Kai of Time could barely keep her head up to Trunks, seeing her reflection in the surface of her beverage.

Trunks took notice of this and crouched down to the side of her.

"She's a fighter. Pan'll get through this, and when she does..."

"It was too close, Trunks. TOO close. Had she been just short of that last hit..."

She got up from her seat, the crouching Trunks still slightly taller.

"This shouldn't have gone this way. She was more than a match for Piccolo. She should've been on Raditz's level, but someone enhanced him. And now I fear this is only the beginning of something worse."

Trunks took in her concerns and tried pondering.

"First, we have to wait for Pan to recover. From there, we have to prepare her for whatever's next. And I do think we should try finding out whose behind this."

Both thought on the last matter Trunks brought up. Both knew the Time Patrol didn't have many enemies. As far as Trunks knew, no one else came about from his time travel. As for the Supreme Kai of Time...

"There's one suspect, but he should be locked away. It should be impossible for him to act this way."

"So that leaves... could it actually be T...?"

"Toh!"

They were interrupted by the large owl flying towards them carrying a scroll in its talons. The Supreme Kai of Time shot straight up out of her seat infuriated at it.

"HEY! What did I tell you about taking scrolls out of there?!"

"Ki! Ki!"

It dropped the scroll in her hands, and as she opened it, her expression went from composed worry to complete dread.

Trunks looked at it as well, seeing the scroll starting to faintly glow a purple hue.

"No... no, not now..."

"It's already starting, Trunks..."

* * *

As she lied in the hospital bed, Pan's mind wandered backwards past her teenage years and her childhood to a memory from when she was just three.

"Look, Pan."

Her father pointed over towards a large patch of dirt, where a figure was slowly pushing a large rock in front of him.

"It's your uncle Goten."

Nearby stood Master Roshi, who watched as the sixteen year old sweated profusely with his efforts. Seeing both the hard work his pupil had showcased, as well as the two approaching members of his pupil's family, he put his hand out to signal him to stop.

"You've earned yourself a breather. Plus... family to see you."

Goten looked over, seeing Gohan in his scholarly attire and glasses.

"Bro?"

And next to him, Pan, who was wearing a white shirt and dark green overalls.

"Pan?"

He approached, reaching out to Gohan for a hug, whom hugged back in spite of his younger brother's sweated orange gi.

"What are you two doing here?!"

A chuckle broke out between the two brothers.

"We wanted to see how you were."

Goten took his dedication to martial arts so seriously he had basically lived under Master Roshi's roof. Not only had he forgone going to high school, but he had been away for several years.

Pan lightly tugged on Goten's pants to get his attention.

"Do you live here?"

Goten pat her on the head.

"Just about."

He then turned around upon hearing two heels approaching behind Gohan.

"Long time no see, Videl."

She was somewhat surprised at the young man Goten had grown into. He was only seven years old when he and Trunks used the disguise of Mighty Mask to enter the adult division of the World Martial Arts tournament. Videl had been paired up with them for their very first match.

Goten had only met her a few times prior to that tournament, and even then, she seemed to be a novice with ki. He and Trunks didn't think less of her for it, but they were both children going in thinking they'd win this match, maybe even the whole tournament, with ease.

By the time they realized they needed to take it seriously, Videl had landed a vital kick, tearing through the uniform. At first, she was terrified, as if she had kicked through an entire person and didn't even feel much effort in doing so. Soon after, she caught a glimpse of Goten's hair and face with two legs hanging behind it.

After being exposed and fleeing from the tournament, Goten accepted he and Trunks overestimated themselves and that they should always fight seriously. If there ever was another bout between them, he wouldn't make the same mistake.

As both recalled that memory, they were interrupted when they realized they didn't see Pan near them. The brief panic subsided once they saw her in front of the rock Goten was pushing. She looked over at Master Roshi, her hands ready to push it.

"Can I try?"

"That's up to your parents, little one."

As former fighters, Gohan and Videl both knew she was curious what she could do. While at first hesitant, they both decided it was better she test her strength in their presence.

"Okay," began Videl. "But don't push yourself too hard."

With permission granted, Pan finally began trying to shove the rock forward as hard as she could...

...but it didn't budge. Her shoes dug into the dirt as she tried to muster more and more to do what Goten had done before her.

"Take it easy, Pan," said Gohan. He didn't know how strong she would be at three, but all the same, he didn't want her to overdo it and hurt herself.

Sweat dripped down from her forehead and arms and Pan's teeth clenched together as she gave one more push. The three adults and Goten watched as Pan finally fell onto her knees, barely catching herself with her hands...

...and the rock moved. Not even an inch, but it was moved all the same. Pan's feat astounded all four of them, but especially her mother. If Pan had done this already with no training, Videl could only imagine what Pan could do as she grew.

Not just that, but Videl was rather curious about her own strength, perhaps the first time since before marrying Gohan.

"Master Roshi..."

The turtle hermit already had an idea of what Videl was about to ask and nodded to her.

"Hold these for me, dear."

Videl had taken off her heels and handed them to Gohan, who was only half-surprised with his wife. Videl was incredibly determined when he first met her and when they fought in the tournament, so this wasn't entirely out of left field.

Pan, trying to catch her breath, saw her mother coming up to her and the rock.

"Mommy?"

Videl got into pushing position, then looked down at her daughter.

"Let me help, Pan."

Pan nodded to her as they both shoved forward.

Goten couldn't believe it...

"No way..."

The rock shoved at a much faster rate, almost as fast as him earlier. Videl still felt much strain doing this, but it was almost counteracted by her amazement at her own strength.

At last, they both stopped, each leaning on the rock to stand up. Gohan crouched down in front of Pan.

"Good job, Pan."

Then he turned to his wife.

"Great work, both of you."

Goten was in awe. He remembered an old video of Hercule pulling four buses, but always figured it was just a stunt. Now that he had seen Videl almost match his feat, he not only knew that Hercule's strength was immense for a human, but that Videl's could be even greater.

"Well done," applauded Master Roshi.

Until he had began training Goten, Roshi hadn't trained any pupils since Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha were younger. Seeing the wife and daughter of Gohan's display of strength, an idea came to him.

"How would you three like to join Goten and I in training?"

Goten actually seemed excited, both at the idea of having training partners, as well as the idea of working out with his brother again like they used to 11 years ago.

"I appreciate the offer..." began Gohan. "But I'm afraid I'll have to pass."

His younger brother turned to him, pleading him to change his mind.

"But bro, you're the greatest fighter I'll ever know."

"I'm sorry Goten, but my time for fighting has passed. I'm a scholar now and I have a wife and child to take care of."

Goten turned to Master Roshi, trying to get him to turn the tide.

"Master, surely..."

"I'm afraid it's Gohan's choice, and he's more than earned it. All we can do is respect his wishes."

"But he's..."

Even in spite of his teenage mind, Goten finally accepted it and tried recomposing himself.

"I understand."

"Just know that you three will always be welcome to become students."

"Wait just a minute here..." Videl cut in. "I didn't say no."

Gohan turned to her, gulping to try to hide his nervousness.

"Honey, are you sure..."

"Yes. I can train and watch Pan. You've got nothing to worry about."

As much as Gohan tried to think of something else to say, he knew his wife made up her mind and he wasn't about to get her to change her mind. She could tell by his expression that he wasn't about to get into any further argument with her.

"Master Roshi..." addressed Videl, approaching him and then bowing in as respectful a manner as she could. "I would be honored to train under you."

Roshi tapped her on the shoulder with his cane, signaling her that she could stand up.

"Your father Hercule is certainly no slouch, but he has never been one for ki. You, however, I can teach to master it. And given time, you will far surpa..."

"Mister Roshi..."

Little Pan interrupted and was leaning on his cane.

"Yes, little one?"

"Can I... try too?"

Videl may have wanted to train, but even she wasn't sure about having her three year old daughter training so young.

"Pan, I don't think..."

She paused the moment Pan made her eyes as big as she could.

"...please?"

She turned to Gohan to see what he thought they should do in that circumstance.

"Honey, we both know she's just as stubborn as you are."

She grinned at her husband, then pat Pan on the head.

"Okay, Pan. If that's what you want to do."

Gohan looked over at his watch.

"Shoot! I've got a conference to catch. I'm not sure I can drop you two off at the house in..."

But he knew they were both happy where they were.

"You have nothing to worry about, Gohan..." reassured Roshi. "They're welcome to stay a few nights if you'd like."

As he got ready to step back towards their car, he pointed over at Videl and Pan.

"Just don't do anything too crazy, okay?"

Videl nodded while Pan tried gesturing with her hand.

"Okie-doe, Dad."

"Don't you worry, bro..."

Goten snuck up behind his older brother and slammed his hand onto his shoulder.

"I'll watch out for them."

Gohan pat him on the shoulder in return.

"I really appreciate that, Goten."

* * *

"It's already starting, Trunks. Even if Pan were to wake up right this second fully healed, it would be impossible for her to survive this battle, zenkai or no zenkai."

After the Supreme Kai of Time made her point crystal clear, Trunks had to face the facts.

 _"She's right. Raditz powered up beyond his limits almost cost Pan her life... and her opponents here not only outclass Raditz, but if given the same power-up, would be leagues above. As she is now, she'd stand no chance."_

He desperately tried to think of a way around this.

 _"...'as she is right now.' Wait... that's it!"_

"Is there any way you can delay the change? Slow it down to a crawl?"

"I'd have to give it my full attention... but I could do that."

"How long could you halt its progress?"

"At best ...a week."

His frustration was hardly concealed already, but after hearing this, Trunks turned his back to the Supreme Kai of Time knowing he couldn't hide it anymore. He tried muttering as quietly to himself out loud as he could.

"...that's it?"

But the Supreme Kai of Time still heard him and already he lamented not saying it in his head.

"Look, I'm sorry Trunks, truly I am, but if I do any more than that, I'll be completely drained and that'll threaten this whole city."

Someone entered into the Time Nest, but his entrance and presence went undetected in the moment as Trunks turned back to the Supreme Kai of Time.

"I didn't mean it. I just... I brought her here to defend time and now with this change to history coming already, all I can do is lead her to the slaughter."

The Supreme Kai of Time looked over to see the man approaching, but Trunks was too caught up with what he was saying to notice.

"The enemy has us in the worst spot possible: days to train that will do nothing to win this battle to protect history. I just feel so... hopeless."

He finally noticed a familiar figure's shadow and turned to see...

"...Hale?"

He gave a respectful bow to the Supreme Kai of Time, then to Trunks as well.

"Forgive my intrusion. I arrived to update you on matters, but I just overheard you two discussing the current situation."

"...and?"

"I might have a solution. It won't be easy and it'll take most of the city's power to do it... but it's the best shot we have."

"What do you have in mind?"

* * *

"Hyah!"

Four year old Pan, donning an orange gi, chopped at the air while Videl watched over her in similar attire.

They had been training with Master Roshi, as well as Goten, over the course of a year as often as they could. While they never quite spent an entire week there since they didn't want to leave Gohan by himself at home, there were times where they were so in tune with the training that they stayed over instead of flying back.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day for Videl: the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament. Ten years ago in the 25th, she had just discovered ki and was only beginning to dabble with it. But now thanks to Roshi's tutelage, Videl's basic understanding of it had more than evolved.

In spite of pleading to join it, Pan was told by both her parents that she had to wait until she was older. While disappointed, she still kept at her training all the same and was excited to see how her mother would do.

"Pan. Goten."

She stopped what she was doing and faced Master Roshi while Goten did the same nearby.

"What is it, Mister Roshi?"

"You've both made much progress. Now it's time to see first-hand."

He pointed over to one of two makeshift rings and Goten and Pan both knew what he had in mind. Little Pan looked upward at her uncle.

"Please don't go easy on me. Fight me at your best, okay?"

Goten crouched down to her level and nodded to her.

"You got it, Pan."

As Pan turned back towards the ring, he turned over to Videl and winked to her, signaling he wouldn't go too far in their spar. Videl, meanwhile, had been called over to the ring next door by Roshi.

"You, Videl, have a simple task: hit me."

The four stood, three of them waiting for Roshi to give the signal to begin...

A stamp of his cane on the ground could be felt by everyone nearby: all three knew that it was time.

As her mother swung and kicked at Roshi, whom swerved to avoid them or moved his limbs to block them, Pan found her efforts against Goten being met with the same results: nothing landing thus far.

Goten knew from his training with her that Pan packed a punch for one so young and small. Even as he appeared to guard her with ease, he knew her hits would leave a mark if he let his guard down. But he knew he had to get on the offensive at some point and leapt backward into the air.

Pan pursued him on foot, then saw her uncle crashing down with a chop. She blocked it, the hard dirt floor beneath her cracking after the impact. She could barely hold back his one hand with both arms, but as partially frustrated as she was, she got exactly what she asked for: Goten challenging her.

He swept, forcing her to hop upward, where she saw a fist coming right for her. She blocked, but was still sent flying backward...

...right in the middle of Videl and Roshi's spar. Both caught a glimpse of her from the corner of their eyes. By the time they did, they were too caught up to move out of the way...

Except Pan didn't collide with either: she was floating in midair right between them. She didn't remain long and flew back, not wanting to keep Goten waiting.

After Roshi ensured she made it back to her ring, he realized Videl had just been standing there.

"You waited for me. Why didn't you go for a hit?"

"It would've been poor sportsmanship."

As much as Videl saw the opportunity, she didn't think it fair to take advantage of the interruption to achieve that goal.

"Good," replied Roshi, adjusting his sunglasses, then putting his hand out to her. "Now hit me."

During this conversation, Pan flew right into a guarding Goten with a flurry of punches. The first forced him off his foot, then the rest made him float backward as Pan continued forward. The ring they stood in before appeared to shrink as the two continued flying farther away.

Roshi stopped a sweeping leg with his cane, then rotated it to block an elbow. What Roshi initially assumed to be a claw-like strike coming for his forehead instead took hold of his cane's handle, Videl's other hand charging with ki.

He ducked from the ki blast, but then found himself being lifted off his feet by a two-handed hoist of his cane. As she swung Roshi and his cane downward towards the ground, he let go of it and bounced off the ground with his hands. As she pursued him, Videl tossed his cane outside the ring.

Goten decided it was time to return and pushed Pan back with a thrust of air. He zoomed back to the ring, then as he turned his head, saw Pan raising a fist toward him, and readied his own...

In the same instance Pan struck Goten on the cheek, she too was. Goten remained standing where he was while Pan was struck out of the ring.

Videl could practically feel this happen nearby and her first instinct would've been to leap out of the ring right then and there, but she knew Roshi would stop her before she could. To that end, she struck harder and faster. Seconds later, one blow glanced off his fist, the next snuck under his arm, and then a swerving kick towards his face failed to hit his nose...

...but put a crack in the center of his sunglasses. Videl, not even realizing this, went for another kick until she saw the two halves of the glasses fall downward, exposing the eyes they hid.

"Well done."

He pulled out another pair of sunglasses to replace the fallen one.

"Go on. Tend to your daughter."

With his permission, Videl ran over towards Pan, whom covered one of her cheeks with her hand and was being tended to by Goten.

"I'm sorry, Videl. I didn't mean to..."

Videl moved Pan's hand, revealing only a bruise. Pan smiled back at him.

"That's okay, Uncle Goten."

The three turned to Roshi, whom congratulated them all for their efforts. Just then, he saw a tiny cut on Goten's face from the one punch Pan landed.

 _''Young Pan has only trained with me for a year, but like her uncle and parents, she has so much potential.''_

* * *

Even though it was the middle of the night, Pan found herself restless in the guest bedroom of the Kame House. She snuck out of bed, careful not to make a sound that would wake her mother.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she thought about maybe floating up to the counter and reaching into the cookie jar...

"Master, please reconsider..."

Goten speaking from outside.

"I told you I would not change my mind about this."

Roshi as well. She slowly walked towards the opened front doorway.

"But I've improved so much..."

"Yes, you have... but my decision still stands."

She hid behind the door, the breeze hitting her face as she could better hear the heated argument.

"What is this about, Master? I've done everything you've asked. I've followed all the rules you've laid out. So why can't I enter the tournament tomorrow?"

"You're far stronger than your father was at your age... and that is the problem."

"The problem is that I'm too powerful?"

"Your power comes from genetics! As naturally gifted as your father was when we first met, he still endured tough training before I allowed him to proceed. My training simply hasn't pushed you as much as it pushed him."

"The tournament wouldn't be a challenge, so I'm not going, is that it? You never did that for my father."

"You're right, I didn't. But it has to be this way."

Goten had always tried to be respectful towards his father's old master and mindful of what he had to say, but in that moment...

"This isn't fair, Roshi!"

He raised his voice and pointed right at Roshi, who didn't take this lightly, pointing his cane right between his eyes.

"Mind your tongue!"

As both waited for one of them to escalate things further...

...both heard a sneeze from behind the door. Pan had tried to cover the noise with her hands, but she realized soon after that her cover was blown. She slowly revealed herself, acting inquisitive about the situation.

"Are you two okay?"

With young Pan in their presence, both faced her, changing their expressions to happy ones and with one arm over the other's shoulder.

"Oh yes, of course. Master Roshi and I were just..."

He looked over to his master, then back to Pan, trying to keep the same look and tone.

"Pan, I'm afraid we won't be going to the tournament tomorrow."

She was somewhat surprised at this.

"Why not?"

"Well..."

Roshi interjected.

"Goten and I have very important errands to run."

"What kind?"

"Well, you know, Pan... martial arts errands."

"Don't worry: we'll still be able to drop you and your mother off at the tournament."

The flimsy excuses were obvious to her adult self now, but as a kid, she bought it entirely.

"Now go on to bed, Pan. Wouldn't want you sleeping through your mother's matches tomorrow, now would we?"

"Okay, Mister Roshi."

* * *

There Pan was with friends and family watching the tournament. The first few matches almost seemed to blur together in her memory, but she definitely recalled the semi-final match.

A large man with a mustache and braided ponytail brought his fists down onto Videl, but she stopped them with her wrists. Even then, she seemed to struggle with keeping them upward for long.

Worried, Pan shouted from the crowd.

"Come on, you can do it, Mom!"

Videl's opponent began to grin, believing himself to have the strength advantage and just seconds from bringing her down. Videl, gritting her teeth, tried lifting one of her legs off the ground.

By the time her opponent saw what she was doing, she kneed him in the chest. This allowed her to better redirect his arms, then trip one of his legs. Off-balance, Videl managed a punch to his face, knocking him onto his back.

"That's it, Mom!"

Once the man got back up, he jumped upward in her direction. Seeing this, Videl stepped backward, but suddenly fell onto her back.

Now confident in victory, he went for a falling double axe chop. Pan was terrified at the sight of this.

"No, no, no... WATCH OUT!"

She almost covered her eyes when she saw Videl putting her palms on the ground behind her, then lifting herself off the ground. Just as her opponent realized this...

"OOF!"

He was struck by two feet to his stomach, forcing him off his feet. Flipping herself backward, Videl launched him outside the ring, where his back struck the wall below the spectators.

"The winner by ring out... Videl!"

Pan hopped upward, ecstatic and clapping her hands until Gohan caught her.

"She did it, Dad! Mom did it!"

"Indeed, she did."

He sat down with her on his lap as the final match was underway. Bulla, sitting on Bulma's lap next to Gohan, was also excited at what she did.

"Wow, Pan. Your Mom is awesome."

She realized her mother was right there.

"Uh... you're awesome too, Mom."

Bulma thought nothing of the earlier comment and put her arms around Bulla to keep her still. Gohan realized a seat between Bulma and the teenage Trunks was still empty.

"So... Vegeta got held up?"

"I told him he could come if he wanted. I suppose... even now, it's just so hard on him to be here."

Young Pan didn't know the context, though adult Pan understood it perfectly now.

"And now for the final match. First up, our savior against Cell and the champion of four consecutive tournaments..."

A familiar set of boots hopped into the arena.

"Hercule Satan!"

In the time between first becoming champion and holding the title three more times, his afro began to bald slightly. Even then, he still kept the same poise while the crowd shouted "Hercule" repeatedly.

"And his challenger: the champion of the 24th Junior Division and who had not been seen in the ring since the 25th tournament until today. Hercule's very own daughter..."

Pan's mother jumped into the ring in similar fashion.

"Videl!"

She turned to see her husband and daughter cheering her on, then looked back to her father.

"This marks the very first finale between a parent and their child. This will be a match for the ages."

Hercule didn't appear nervous at being her opponent, but instead appeared prideful: his daughter beat the odds and made it to the finals.

"Hey Dad..."

He gave her his full attention even as the crowd continued chanting his name.

"Let's both fight at our best. No holding back."

"I couldn't agree more."

As Videl and Hercule both got into position for their bout, Pan turned to her dad looking somewhat unsure.

"Will Mom be okay? Grandpa Hercule beat Grandpa Goku, right?"

Trunks budged in.

"What? That fight was completely...!"

He received a glare from his mother and quickly changed his tone.

"I mean... the battle between those two was absolutely amazing. I hope this one's just as incredible."

Gohan put both his hands over Pan's shoulders.

"If your Grandpa Hercule's that strong, I think your mother's pretty strong herself."

Videl took on a stance based on her time with Master Roshi as Hercule had both his arms flowing in front of him.

 ***GONG!***

As they sprinted towards each other, Hercule and Videl filtered out all the noise around them: they might as well have been fighting in complete silence.

Once they arrived at the center of the ring, they both took a step forward with their left legs, then readied their right fists for a swing. Both landed the blow as intended, but also received a hit to the face.

"Our first hits of the match: two simultaneous punches!"

Both remained on their feet and swerved to the side, preparing for an immediate counter-attack. A chop by Hercule and a knee by Videl, followed by a haymaker and roundhouse kick. None of them landed as they anticipated each other's moves.

Changing tactics, Hercule ran in for a grapple, but saw Videl jump right over him. As she turned in midair for a downward kick, Hercule grabbed hold of her leg and swung her downward. Before the impact, she landed on her hands first, then flipped backward towards the edge of the ring.

Both wiped off sweat from their brow, then grinned to each other before cracking their necks.

"With neither landing a blow, what could they be planning next?"

They remained standing still...

"Wait, where did they go?!"

The announcer lost track of them.

"I think I see them!"

For a split-second, the two could be seen throwing out rapid punches. Then they were gone again in a flash. There they were on the other side rapidly kicking, but disappeared once more.

"We've never seen Hercule or Videl fight this fast before. They're too fast for me to even keep up."

The crowd tried turning their heads, following the sounds of the two battling, only to hardly see any trace of them.

As for the Z-Fighters, they could keep up with their movements. Even when they didn't see them directly, they could sense where they traveled in the brief intermissions between clashes.

"I didn't think Hercule could move that fast," began Gohan.

"But wait..." questioned Pan. "He had to be really fast to beat Grandpa Goku."

Gohan quickly caught what he said and immediately changed his stance.

"Oh, of course your Grandpa Hercule was, but..."

He had to think of something and something fast.

"I think he's moving even faster than he did then."

This comment further excited Pan.

"Wow, really? Then Mom's faster than Grandpa Goku too."

Gohan turned Pan's head back towards the ring.

"Right. Now let's keep watching."

No further questions came from the inquisitive four year old, who focused intently on her mother.

 _"...faster than a Super Saiyan. Amazing."_

Just then, both were plainly visible in the center of the ring, having landed and recieved a punch to the gut. Both stepped backward, one hand covering where they were struck and the other still battle-ready.

Unknown to Pan, but when Videl was younger, around the time she first met Gohan, she believed her father to be slacking off and only getting by on his reputation alone. When she entered the 25th World Martial Arts tournament, she wanted to dethrone him from his title herself, only to be eliminated.

But now, her view on her father had changed entirely: the Hercule she fought was like the same man she saw fight with everything he had to win the 24th tournament. He didn't let his skills wane by lying on the couch watching his old fights or looking at magazines. In that moment, Videl had gained newfound respect for Hercule.

Five minutes passed...

"We're passed the five minute mark and so far, Hercule hasn't attempted his Megaton Punch or Dynamite Kick."

The crowd couldn't figure out the reason, but the Z-Fighters and Videl knew: Hercule was fighting seriously, not showboating.

A kick struck Videl near her forehead. She felt a small drip of blood coming from her eyebrow, but she focused, guarding against a follow-up kick with her wrists. She grabbed onto his foot, then managed to rotate Hercule, sending him spinning onto the ground.

A right hook hit Hercule near the jaw. He rolled out of the way of a punch that left a small dent in the arena's tile floor, then swung his leg to trip Videl. She flipped backward, leaving Hercule to realize his lip had a small bruise.

Another five minutes passed...

Hercule's robe had never been close to any disrepair in a match: his sleeves were beginning to tear and one of his shoulders poked out of it. His cheek took on a very noticable dark purple hue and he scrubbed a dab of blood from his nose with his wrist.

Videl's uniform didn't look as damaged by comparison, but her arms were covered in spots from where Hercule had struck and she had a black eye beginning to form. She had her hand on her nose, which had felt better, then felt a scar forming on her cheek.

"We're now over ten minutes into the finals and both Hercule and Videl have taken and dished out a lot of punishment. I don't think we've ever seen them take more than just a few hits like this before."

Seeing Videl approach him, Hercule began moving his arms in a circle. Once Videl punched at him, he used one to catch her hand, and the other to go for one of his own. Videl caught this intended strike and the two vyed to free their trapped fists. The two gritted their teeth, trying to push one another back.

Pan couldn't tell that Gohan was getting nervous watching this play out. He knew Videl and Hercule would go all out, but he didn't expect to see the two in the states they were in.

Hercule stomped forward, then slipped free just quick enough to strike her side. Both went for a sweeping kick right after and felt a pain in their leg, then themselves landing on their backs.

Both hit the ground with their elbows, then made their way back to their feet.

Ten minutes passed...

The torn shoulder of Hercule's robe now exposed his entire chest, whose bruises were only partially hidden by his chest hair. His forehead and chin were practically purple and his cheek may as well have been an inflated balloon. He just realized that two streaks of blood snuck behind his mustache.

Videl's shoulder poked through her gi and one of her wristbands barely held on by a thread. In the midst of those ten minutes, she felt her nose partially bent and the black eye puffed up, half-blinding her.

"Twenty minutes and both are still standing. How much longer can they keep this up?"

Even Pan finally began to notice just how beat up her mother and grandfather were.

"Dad... are they going to be okay?"

"Of course, honey."

Hercule and Videl charged. Unlike before, they didn't appear to be trying to account for their opponent's movement or to sidestep: both were reaching their limits and just wanted to get in close. At this point, they weren't even blocking or trying to get out of the way.

A punch by Hercule. One by Videl. The two then threw out attacks quickly, only instead of matching and blocking one another, they all got through.

"I think we're close, folks. Hercule and Videl are now on their last legs, trying to get the knockdown first."

A simultaneous punch to each other's chests send both rocketing back.

"They're both flying backwards! Could this lead to a ring out?"

Both knew they would hit the ground outside the ring if they didn't stop themselves now. Videl put her hand out to grab onto the ground, her fingers scratching into the tile. Hercule tried grabbing onto the tile, but to no effect.

"No, no, no...!"

From the corner of his eye, the dent Videl made from punching the ground earlier. He desperately reached for it even as his feet were already dangling outside of the ring.

Both came to a complete stop with Videl's hand having made a hole in the tile from how hard she dug into it and her knees having hit the ring's side. She knew if she let her legs stretch out now, they'd touch the ground below and she would be rung out.

Hercule stopped, but felt his feet scurrying to avoid tapping the ground. It almost looked like his legs were running in place in a cartoonish fashion.

Gohan peered forward with his glasses and thought he saw...

...just as Hercule climbed his way back into the ring...

"Hercule's back in the ring!"

...one of his boots touched a blade of grass.

"Wait, wait...!"

He gently placed Pan onto her feet, then stood up.

"It's a ring out!"

The other crowd members looked over at Gohan in disbelief.

"You kiddin' me, pal?"

The announcer took notice and looked over at where Hercule was.

"Well, let's see..."

He looked to the grass for any noticable bend in the grass, but as far as he could tell...

"I'm afraid I don't see anything out of the ordinary, sir."

One crowd member turned towards Gohan from the row below him.

"You tryin' to be funny, Four Eyes?! Now shut yer trap or I'll shut it for you!"

Pan didn't take the insult towards her father lightly and floated over to the heckler, pulling him towards her with his shirt collar and raising a fist.

"Nobody talks to my daddy that way, you big bully!"

In spite of his obnoxious attitude earlier, the last thing this man expected was to be tugged with that much strength by a floating four year old. Gohan grabbed hold of her hand, then tried pulling her back.

"No, Pan! Let go!"

"Wait, folks! I don't think Videl can...!"

With a shout, Videl pulled herself upward, her knees still bent like before.

"No, Videl is still in it!"

Seeing this, Pan peered over towards the ring, finally loosening her grip enough for Gohan to pull her backward. He sat her down next to him and pointed to her.

"Pan, you can't do that to people."

"But he was mean to you!"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean..."

Just then, the man, utterly grateful for not receiving a punch earlier, reached out with his hand.

"I'm sorry, mister. I got carried away. I won't do it again."

Pan turned away, her arms crossed at this gesture, but Gohan shook his hand.

"Apology accepted."

"Hope you and your little girl enjoy the rest of the match."

Videl didn't notice any of that transpire: she watched Hercule like a hawk with her eye. Hercule looked to be taking on a running start stance, though from below, his forehead was dripping sweat onto the tile. Videl matched it, also scrubbing her eye to keep sweat from it.

"I think they're both going for one final move here."

Both sprinted, almost giving off roars while doing so. Before they reached the center, they both hopped upward, their leg outstretched for a kick.

Hercule and Videl both took the full brunt of the force on their faces, spitting out while the shockwave traveled through their cheek.

"They've both..."

They slammed to the ground with a hard landing.

"Oh my goodness, folks! Both Hercule and Videl are down, and I'm not seeing either of them getting back up."

Pan didn't like the looks of this at all.

"Oh, no... Mommy! Grandpa!"

Gohan held onto her close even as she began tearing up.

"It's okay, Pan. They're both going to be okay."

"We might have a double knockout here, so..."

He pointed upward, then to the ring.

"1! 2!"

No movement.

"3! 4!"

Still no movement.

"5!"

Videl's eyes opened up and she coughed.

"6!"

She tried pushing herself upward, but could barely lift her back off the ground.

"7!"

Putting her hand onto the ground, she pushed as hard as she could.

"Eig...!"

She finally stood back up.

"Videl's still in it, but no response from Hercule just yet."

She turned to see her father, still not moving one bit. After the announcer cleared his throat...

"8!"

Hercule's eyes shot open.

"9!"

He practically forced his upper body off the ground as he finally made it to his feet.

"Absolutely astounding! No matter how much punishment he takes, Hercule refuses to lose by countdown."

He seemed to struggle, nearly falling backward, but then he used his arms to lean forward. Videl always knew her father was a champion, but this... even now, her father still impressed her.

"You there, announcer!"

He turned to Hercule puzzled at his request.

"What is it, Mr. Satan?"

Videl kept waiting, knowing her father had taken a lot throughout their match and also not wanting to hit him unless he was ready to continue.

It was hard to tell for the crowd from that distance, but Hercule was breathing heavily. The announcer and Videl, however, could both see and hear him clearly.

"I..."

He coughed for just a moment, covering his mouth with his wrist.

"Look, Mr. Satan, you're delaying the match."

"Right, right... just one sec..."

He put his hands over his knees, breathing heavily still.

"Videl... I am so proud of you."

Even while battle-ready, she blushed at this.

"I'm proud of you too, Dad."

The announcer was still trying to figure out what Hercule was doing.

"M... Mr. Satan?"

Hercule took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"I had a good run while it lasted..."

The announcer was finally running out of patience.

"Sir, are you still in the match?!"

He put his hand up.

"I cannot fight any longer. I forfeit the match."

A huge gasp came across everyone in the entire arena: Hercule Satan had given up.

"...and I retire."

An even louded gasp, followed by complete silence at what had transpired: he was done with fighting.

"Folks..." began the announcer, who tried to recompose himself. "Folks, the tournament has been decided. Our new martial arts champion of the world..."

He raised Videl's arm upward.

"Videl Satan!"

Thunderous applause poured from the crowd as Videl put her other hand up as well, a tear of joy falling from her eye: she had finally fulfilled her life-long dream.

Hercule pat her on the shoulder.

"You did it."

Once they had left the arena, Gohan and Pan ran over to Videl. As Gohan hugged her, Pan walked over to Hercule.

"You did good, Grandpa Hercule."

He pat her on the head.

"Thank you, Pan, but really, your mother deserves this moment."

Videl put both her hands out to her daughter.

"Pan, honey..."

She flew into Videl's arms, then felt Hercule and Gohan joining in on the hug.

"Videl," Hercule began. "You're the champ now."

* * *

Trunks and Commander Hale both waited for the Supreme Kai of Time to return to them. Both had much to consider regarding their plan in progress.

"Hale, can the training chamber handle it?"

"It will take a considerable amount of the city's power... but it can be done."

He caught Trunks inhaling and taking a deep breath.

"I should be in there with her. I know she'll be given the best help we can offer, but..."

Hale put a hand over Trunks' shoulder.

"We've trained her well, you in particular. She'll..."

The two of them heard several sets of footsteps approaching them. They saw the Supreme Kai of Time.

"Here they are!"

She moved to the side, showing the trio she had brought before Trunks and Hale. One of them decided to speak.

"You really the Trunks from the future?"

Trunks nodded back to the man that addressed him.

"So you've been here since the Cell Games, huh? How's your mother?"

* * *

Pan was now seven years old, walking hand-in-hand with her grandfather on her way to the 29th World Martial Arts Tournament.

"So Pan... you nervous about your mother?"

"Why? She's the strongest fighter on Earth."

In spite of his question, Hercule smiled back at her and pat her on the head.

"That's right."

Just then, she noticed her grandfather stopping in his tracks.

"What is it, Grandpa Hercule?"

She then saw what her grandfather saw: Roshi arguing with another older gentleman with teal hair and a black cap. She couldn't hear what they were talking about specifically, but she could tell from the tone and expressions that it wasn't pleasant.

"He's not a friend of Master Roshi."

"No, I don't believe he is."

Next to the man who looked like he had a crane on his head was a massive man in a green robe and hood.

"Is that the tall guy from the last tournament?"

"I'm not really sure, Pan. Maybe..."

Just then, the man turned towards Pan and Hercule, his face unfamiliar to her, but the goatee instantly recognizable to her grandfather.

"... Spo... Spopovich?"


	14. Drastic Preparations! Spopovich's Quest!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

"Ah, good. You're awake."

A male voice. Pan turned to her left, seeing a man with short white hair and a small strip on his chin. He was donned in teal attire and a white Time Patroller chestpiece.

"We were starting to worry. Granted, you were in worse shape when you first arrived here, but it was worrisome all the same."

She began to sit up, then saw tubes of some kind going into the top of her left hand. She then lifted up her sleeve, seeing only faint markings on her left arm from the damage Raditz had inflicted on her.

 _"What about...?"_

She felt her teeth for gaps from to any of them being missing, but everything felt in place.

"But these were... did you put them back?"

"It certainly seems that way...but no."

He handed her a tiny bottle. She looked at it and shook it, seeing and hearing individual teeth inside.

"The healing fluid grew teeth virtually identical to the ones lost."

Just then, the man put out his hand.

"Ah, my apologies. I haven't introduced myself. The name's Beetro. Medical professional."

As she shook his hand, Pan's eye was drawn to something behind Beetro: a tail of the same white color as his hair.

 _"He's a Saiyan... yet he's a doctor."_

He could see the thoughts flowing through her upon the revelation.

"Ah, yes. You wouldn't think of a Saiyan for having a medicinal background."

"But Saiyans are a warrior race, raised to take over planets, right?"

He nodded.

"Indeed."

She spoke the first thought she had on the matter:

"Did you receive an injury to your head like my grandfather?"

Once she spoke it, she caught just how presumptuous that sounded.

 _"I really just said that. What am I, a Saiyan expert, spouting that out loud?"_

"That was rude of me. I apologize."

Beetro put his hand out, signalling everything was alright.

"What you asked is understandable, as there is much not known of Saiyans as a whole."

He turned, both his hands to his back.

"Yes, not all of them are the savage warriors most believe them to be. Indeed, some were the result of an injury to the head as a child like Son Goku."

He turned back to her.

"But as for myself... it was how I was born."

Beetro sat down atop a stool.

"Both my parents died fulfilling a mission for Lord Frieza, so I lived among the orphaned. As my peers grew restless for blood and battle, I found that I had no taste for violence and conquest as a whole. In fact, I preferred to tend to the hurt. And because of that..."

He shut his eyes for just a moment.

"I was met only with disdain. They abhorred me, believing me to be less than a Saiyan. Time and time again, they tried to force me into changing, to become like them... but I couldn't betray who I truly was even amidst the scorn."

Pan could tell Beetro was pained bringing this up.

"Since I was unfit for combat, I took the lowest jobs available to a Saiyan like myself: tidying the streets and facilities of Planet Vegeta. But even as I grew, I was always reminded that a Saiyan that didn't want to fight was worth less than the muck I scrubbed from the gutters."

That last sentiment was heartbreaking to her.

"I'm so sorry. I can't even..."

"It's alright, Pan. Painful as it was, it is all in the past."

"But how did you get away from all that?"

"One day, a member of the Time Patrol came to me and made me an offer: to join them here, where I could finally utilize the skills that I had longed to learn... or to remain where I was, where nothing would change."

Finally, he opened his eyes and stood back up.

"Since arriving here, I trained to become one of the Time Patrol's top medical professionals... and could finally be myself."

Pan was certainly happy with how his tale ended, but a new thought occurred to her:

"How does the Time Patrol pick its members?"

"Throughout the nearly infinite timelines, there are several individuals who are left idle, unable to leave their marks due to their circumstances. When they accept, they leave their timelines, leaving no alteration. Just as an example, had I stayed on Planet Vegeta instead, I would've fallen to Frieza the same as the rest of the Saiyans on the planet."

Pan then thought back to how, if she had been left in space after her Earth was destroyed, her death wouldn't have changed anything... except she was summoned by a wish on the Dragon Balls, not recruited.

The door to the room opened, Beetro standing at attention as Commander Hale made his way inside.

"Hale... I mean, Commander..."

"At ease, Beetro."

Pan got out of the bed and made it to her feet.

"What's the situation, Commander?"

"You're certainly quick on the uptake."

He tossed Pan her Time Patrol fitness attire, all wrapped together.

"Get dressed, then come along with me, Pan. There will be much to discuss."

* * *

Commander Hale and Pan made their way down flights of stairs below the academy towards a familiar room.

"You must understand how dire our situation is."

"I do, but... I have just six days?! To become that much stronger?"

"I've recalibrated the training chamber to give you more time."

"But how?"

"The training chamber can recreate nearly any environment or condition we require... it can even slow time inside of it."

Pan stopped for just a moment.

"That room can slow down time? I could train for anything on short notice."

"It takes a substantial amount of Toki Toki City's power to do so. Too much and the entire infrastructure would be drained, perhaps beyond repair. That is why we always hesitate to use the room in this way."

He continued downward as Pan followed.

"Now, we are left with no other options, but even then, we will only use as much power as we can without jeopardizing the city."

"How long?"

"In six days time here... you'll have six months inside the chamber."

Even as the idea of having time to herself to train appealed to her, this was massive to her.

"Six months... by myself?"

"Not alone."

Outside of the doors to the training chamber were three figures: one with a bald head in a formal fighting attire, one with long hair and sideburns, and one a foot shorter than her. As she got closer, she saw one man had a third eye, another a scar on the lower left of his face, and the shortest with pale white skin and red circles on his cheeks.

"So... she's the one we're training?"

Just then, the figure in white felt a tight hug: Pan knew his voice from anywhere.

"Yamcha. It really is you."

This Yamcha, however, didn't know how to respond to this gesture.

"So... big fan, huh?"

Once he said this, she noticed the surprise on his face, more akin to meeting a stranger rather than anything familial.

 _"He doesn't know me?"_

As she let go of him, she noticed his hair wasn't dark grey like the Yamcha she knew: he was younger, maybe by a decade or two. Next, she looked over at Tien and noticed him lacking his short hair and goatee.

"Tien... your hair..."

Tien was puzzled by her mentioning hair with him, but it barely showed on his face. Finally...

"Chiaotzu..."

The small man looked right up at her. As for his appearance...

"You look the same."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Commander Hale stood to the side between Pan and the trio.

"These three are from the main timeline, not your own."

"Wait... if they're from the main timeline and they're here..."

"The Supreme Kai of Time found an opening in their timeline in which all three would be available without any issue. Once they are finished, they'll be returned back, their timeline restored like they never left."

Yamcha put out his hand to her.

"Well, since that's all cleared up and you know the three of us, how about introducing yourself, Miss...?"

"Pan."

"Pan, huh?

As she shook his hand, Yamcha pondered regarding the name.

"...That's a nice name."

Just then, the doors to the chamber opened as Trunks made his way in front of the five gathered outside it.

"Checked everything myself. Everything's all set inside."

Once Trunks joined the group, Hale made his way to an elevator.

"I'll make the necessary preparations. Trunks will explain the rest."

Once Hale left, Tien had an inquiry for Trunks.

"How large is the inside of the chamber?"

"It gives the illusion of several miles, but try to avoid flying at top speed or you may run into a barrier."

Yamcha had a question as well.

"Is it going to be daytime the whole time?"

"The chamber will flicker between day and night about every hour in real time, but at its proper time when inside."

As did Chiaotzu.

"What will we do about food?"

"Your bodies won't be able to tell the difference between the food the chamber generates and the real thing."

And finally, Pan.

"How will we be accommodated when we're not training?"

Trunks put his hand out to the four.

"Come inside and see for yourselves."

As they took their first steps, they saw the chamber took on the appearance of a desert wasteland. Yamcha was ecstatic about this.

"Alright. This'll be like old times."

Trunks then pointed to the left and right at small white structures.

"Each of you will have your own housing quarters. Beds, bathrooms, clothes... you name it."

All four structures had a different color stripe, each associated with one of them: green for Tien, red for Chiaotzu, orange for Yamcha, and blue for Pan.

"Oh, before I forget..."

Trunks took out what looked like a metal wrist band with a small screen on the center.

"Pan, this will let you gauge your power."

As he put out his hand to give it to her...

"Trunks!" called out Hale on Trunk's communicator. "It is time."

He placed it in Pan's hand, then bowed his head to her.

"This is going to be difficult... but I believe in you."

He lifted his head back up.

"Take care of yourself."

Trunks flew through the entrance, the doors slowly beginning to close upon him exiting.

* * *

Commander Hale, at the controls, watched on a screen as the doors finally closed all the way.

He pressed on the console...

* * *

Patrollers walking around were caught off-guard as electronics across all of Toki Toki City began to flicker on and off rapidly.

"What's going on?!"

"Is it a power failure?!"

"That shouldn't be possible!"

And for a few seconds, all the power in the city went completely dark. All the holographic screens disappeared, not a single light glowed, and even the mechanical staff stood motionlessly.

For all the time Toki Toki City was around, the power had never once done this.

"The city's power... is it...?"

Right at that moment of terror, the power returned... except it was reduced somewhat. The holographs partially fuzzy, the lights dimmer, and the mechanical staff slightly slower to move and act.

"What in Hercule's name is going on?"

Pima, crouching over in a corner behind one of the structures, grasped what was going on before anyone else.

"That girl... after what happened yesterday..."

He stood up and turned towards the academy, then peered at the ground as if he could see through it.

 _"The chamber... if it needs that much power... time itself is threatened."_

* * *

The moment the chamber powered up, the entire area around Pan felt heavier...

 _"The gravity..."_

She began to hunch over.

* * *

As Trunks came to see Commander Hale at the console, something hit him:

 _"Crap!"_

"I forgot to tell her about the gravity!"

He turned to exit.

"Open up the door and I'll let her know..."

"It's too late, Trunks," Hale told him, gesturing him to stay where he was. "If we open the door now, it will waste valuable time and power that we cannot get back."

Trunks accepted the case, but also was in disbelief about his blunder.

 _"How could I have forgotten? Time itself is on the line! This is the worst time for me to screw up!"_

* * *

Pan tried to stand up straight as the trio inside with her stood almost unaffected. Yamcha took notice of this.

"Hey... you okay there?"

Tien walked forward towards her.

"We may have half a year, but we have a lot of ground to cover."

He took on a fighting stance.

"We need to get started right away."

Pan tried gesturing for him to wait.

"Hold on. I just need a minute to..."

"Do you think the Saiyans gave us a minute?!"

As Tien shouted this, Pan felt a kick to her side, grounding her to Yamcha and Chiaotzu's shock.

"Do you expect them to give you a fair fight?!"

As Pan tried getting up once more, he kicked her in the side once again. Yamcha stepped in front of him.

"Tien, what the hell are you doing?! Can't your three eyes see the gravity's getting to her?"

Tien grabbed onto Yamcha by the collar of his coat.

"The Supreme Kai of Time made it crystal clear to us: if we fail in our task to train her, then time itself will be at risk, our selves and our home included."

During this heated argument, Pan made it onto her knees.

"If we coddle her, she'll die the same as all three of us!"

Once Tien stated this, both Yamcha and Chiaotzu began to reflect on the exact moment they were brought to train her for. Yamcha was finally let go and backed away as his anger shifted.

"You're right... but we're not going to kill her either."

"We won't..."

Tien turned back to Pan, whom could tell he wasn't about to offer her a helping hand up.

"But you will be ready for a fight to the death!"

This time, his kick was blocked as Pan's initial shock wore off.

"Now get up! Stand!"

Pan made it back up, but like before, they could tell she was struggling to stand upright.

"Hit me."

This scenario already sounded familiar to her, only this time, the chamber's gravity was against her. She took a step and a punch, one that Tien was quick to redirect, tossing her aside rolling.

"Come on," shouted Chiaotzu to her. "You can do better than that."

Pan could tell he, like Tien, was beckoning her to push through. She wasn't sure how much individual steps would take out of her, so she began floating off the ground.

 _"Now to just go to him..."_

She zoomed forward, Tien stepping to the side from her intended punch. Right after, she came crashing into the dirt, as if she were pulled straight down. Standing was hard enough, but flying forward somehow pulled her down even harder. She strained just to lift herself up from the small hole her impact created.

 _"I can't function like this. The gravity..."_

Instead of seeing Tien standing and waiting for her, he approached her on foot as if the gravity was normal to him.

"If you want to fight among the Z-Fighters... if you want to survive the coming battle, get up or you'll end up buried!"

With a burst of ki, Pan pushed herself upward, then swerved her arms to keep from falling onto her back. Once she gained her composure, Tien swept at her legs. She hopped over it, floating in midair, but then saw a chopping hand coming right for her. She barely avoided it, then grabbed on to try flipping Tien over.

"DODON...!"

She felt Tien's finger pointing right at her.

 _"No... he wouldn't... would he?"_

Not wanting to try her luck, she quickly let go. Her upper body was out of range...

"RAY!"

The beam fired all the same and while she tried to move as quickly as she could, the thin beam was far faster than any Dodon Ray she had faced before.

In the midst of this, Yamcha tried approaching and putting out a hand in protest.

"Wait, don't...!"

But by the time he began, the beam had struck and Pan lied on the ground grabbing her right knee. At first, Yamcha feared the worst.

"Tien, what were you thinking?!"

"Did you really think I would use the Dodon Ray anywhere near full power?"

Pan let go of her knee, seeing a hole in her track pants, but only a sear from the beam: it didn't pierce through her leg as Yamcha and even she herself feared. She looked back to Tien, who already looked ready to strike.

"You'll live. Now get up."

As soon as Pan heard those two words, her mind echoed with Raditz saying the same.

 _"Get up."_

Tien, seeing her just staring at him for a moment, grew impatient.

"I said get up!"

A blast struck near her side. Pan focused, seeing the crater in the ground from an intentionally missed attack.

"You think Raditz was the worst?!"

Another blast on the other side.

"The Saiyans you'll fight are his superiors in every way!"

A third neared her feet.

"You just going to lie there and let yourself and everyone you know and love die?!"

This last statement cut deep down into her: she had seen her loved ones slain one by one before her and in spite of giving it her all, she couldn't stop it.

 _"You think I did nothing at all? That I didn't even try?!"_

Suddenly, rocks began to flow around her as she floated off the ground, then flew towards Tien. The shock and fear in her face was replaced by seething as she struck at Tien, forcing him to block. Yamcha was in awe.

"I think we may have a Super Saiyan on our hands."

As Tien continued his defense, Pan zoomed past him several times, trying to force his guard open. As far as he could tell, she didn't show any hints of a golden glow in her hair or her ki.

 _"At least at the moment... no, we don't."_

There she was fighting with all she had, perhaps surpassing her efforts against Raditz, only for Tien to be unmoved by anything she had. It was like fighting Goten when he went Super Saiyan or Frieza in his golden form: all her power and training in vain.

Tien leapt over one of Pan's charges, then, as she turned and found him, he already came crashing down with a two-handed slam. Pan blocked it and managed to land on the ground without being pushed into it...

Followed by a burn in her knee. She had been floating this whole time and now that she was standing on that leg, she struggled just to not crouch from how much it stung. Tien landed hard in front of her and began unleashing a flurry of punches. Pan recognized the Machine Gun Punch immediately and guarded accordingly...

But each punch was harder than any hit she took from Raditz. In spite of her efforts to keep her guard up, her wrists began to waver. With two final upward swings, her defenses were broken and her arms went upward. Before she could even think of forcing them back down or even trying to float out of the way, Tien placed a lone palm in front of her face.

From the distance, Chiaotzu saw Pan flying back before landing onto the dirt, leaving a trail behind until she came to a complete stop.

Tien walked over to her almost calmly as Yamcha ran with haste. Both looked over, seeing Pan with her arms stretched out and her eyes closed. She wasn't unconscious, but she wasn't in any condition to continue the spar. Yamcha grabbed hold of Tien's shoulder.

"You need to tone this down. We can't just do this for six months and expect her to just toughen up."

Tien shrugged the hand off of him.

"I know."

"Then what? Are you just giving her a taste of the training Tao gave you?"

Tien was about to respond angrily, but then Yamcha saw him pause, as if he really did begin to wonder if that was the case.

"Tien, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go that far."

"Tao taught me almost everything I know, but he tortured me to make me... how I was. This is to help her to survive. You know what Nappa did to all of us."

Yamcha couldn't help but realize his shortcomings in that battle.

"You two at least got to fight Nappa. I was done in by a..."

"Don't beat yourself up over the Saibamen again, please. It could have happened to any of us. Even Gohan or Piccolo."

"...Saibamen?" asked Pan, having finally opened up her eyes. "What's a Saibamen?"

"You'll know in due time," replied Tien.

He felt someone tapping on his shoulder and turned to see Chiaotzu floating.

"Tien, are we going to be fighting like this the whole time we're here?"

"No. Not like this every day."

He turned back to Pan, crouching down and offering his left hand to help her up.

"Forgive me for my methods, but I had to see how far you could go."

"You mean... it was a test?"

"To an extent."

She took his hand as he lifted her up. Once she tried standing on her right leg, she struggled to keep standing. Yamcha quickly helped her keep steady.

"We trained an entire year just to be able to stand up to Raditz. In spite of how intense our training was, it wasn't enough. I promise you that we'll do all in our power to make sure you succeed where we failed."

Even after Tien stated this, Pan still couldn't help but think about how powerful Tien was in their spar alone. He talked about them only matching Raditz, but all his attacks and speed were greater than anything even the powered-up Raditz was capable of.

"...but you're way stronger than Raditz."

"But that was after we traversed Snake Way and trained on King Kai's Planet."

He already saw Pan getting ready to ask about them.

"I'll tell you about them, don't worry."

* * *

After treating her leg and cleaning up, she and the three Z-Fighters gathered around a simulated camp fire as the sky turned dark.

"Tell us about yourself, Pan." began Yamcha. "What's your timeline like?"

"I don't even know where to start..."

"Anywhere. Wherever you'd like."

"This may come as a shock, but..."

Chiaotzu had his hand on the side of his face.

"You're Gohan and Videl's daughter, huh?"

Yamcha fell over, struck by the revelation Chiaotzu stated nonchalantly while Tien turned to his friend with the mildest look of disappointment.

"Chiaotzu, it's rude to read someone's thoughts like that, especially at your age."

Just then, Yamcha got back up.

"You're... Goku's granddaughter."

He turned to Tien.

"Say, wasn't Videl expecting the last time we saw her? Do you think..."

"It isn't our place to think about that. And even then, Pan, you're from another timeline."

Tien realized he sounded somewhat harsh, so he tried gesturing to Pan.

"Please, continue."

From there, Pan spoke at long lengths about her Earth and the people she grew up with, the three listening nodding along and rarely interrupting, save for...

"Wait, so you're telling me Vegeta... Vegeta grew a mustache?"

While this was just a plain observation to Pan, Yamcha tried hiding a smirk from the sound of that.

 _"Oh man... I would pay to see that."_

Tien thought of something:

"So, your grandfather... Hercule... is he still the world martial arts champion on your Earth?"

Pan tried as hard as she could not to reply with how it was the past tense, and instead answered with...

"He won four tournaments in a row, but then my mother fought him in his last tournament."

Yamcha sat up intrigued.

"So, your mother dethroned the champ, huh?"

The word "dethroned" didn't sit well with her, but she continued.

"Right. She had trained with Master Roshi a year prior."

"With Roshi training your mother, I bet she racked up a bunch of tournaments after that."

As she thought more on the issue, she could hear the cheers of a tournament crowd followed by shocked gasps, and the tournament announcer...

"It's over! It's all over!"

The three could see her in thought before she tried changing the subject.

"So, do you wanna know what you three were like on my Earth?"

Chiaotzu looked to be trying to use his telekinesis again only for Tien to put his hand down.

"I'm not sure. I mean, that is..."

Yamcha didn't seem to have any issue with the topic.

"Sure. Tell me all about my alternate Earth self."

Pan saw Tien's hesitance on the subject, so she began with Yamcha.

"Well, you were an instructor at Tien's dojo..."

"Like... like a full-time job?"

"You practically lived with him. You even babysat Tien and Launch's daugh..."

The moment Tien heard the word "Launch", he began to get up. Once he began to hear the start of "daughter", he turned away.

"...Tien?"

"I'm alright. Don't mind me."

He tried hiding it as well as he could, but Tien couldn't shake Pan's unfinished sentence: that him, on another Earth, had a child with Launch. Chiaotzu flew after him shortly afterward.

Pan began to wonder if she had said something to hurt him.

"Was it something I said?"

"Don't mind him. Launch is just a touchy subject for him, that's all."

"You mean they didn't have a kid?"

"No. Never married either. They hardly keep in touch these days. They used to be an item, but not anymore. Guess they just grew apart."

He didn't show it in his tone, but Yamcha knew that feeling all too well.

Just then, a large yawn.

"It's getting late, so I figure a good rest'll do all four of us good. You can tell us more about your Earth tomorrow night after some training sessions."

As he got up, he marked the ground with his finger, leaving a small line. When Pan was about to ask...

"One day down. One seventy-nine to go. Good night, Pan."

As Pan lied in her bed in her quarters, she thought on what Yamcha said.

"One seventy-nine to go..."

* * *

Her seven year old self stood next to her grandpa Hercule, looking over at Master Roshi and this older man with a crane-shaped hat in a heated argument. She only caught bits of it without much context.

"What are you doing here, Shen?!"

"Just bringing my latest pupil! And he has a history with Mr. Satan..."

"If either of you try killing anyone...!"

"We won't. Maybe he'll just beat them to near-death."

After inquiring about the large man in a hooded green robe, Hercule recognized him as the man approached them.

"Spopovich... that really you?"

Hercule didn't sound intimidated and instead changed to a more casual tone.

"Oh man, it has been ages..."

"Ages?" Spopovich began. "It's been twenty years."

"Well, uh, how's it been? What have you been up to?"

"You know something, 'Savior of Mankind'?"

He grabbed hold of Hercule's collar to both his and Pan's shock.

"You humiliated me. And then I heard how you defeated Cell when no one else in the world could. It broke me. I couldn't stop thinking about how easily you bested me in the ring."

His look of resentment then began to mold itself into something else...

"Then your daughter showed me the truth when she fought you: you're just flesh and blood like the rest of us. You didn't defeat Cell: you weren't even in the same league. And yet for decades, you conned everyone into believing it."

He let go of Hercule.

"I made it my life's mission to reveal to the world the fraud you really are. My only regret is that you had to retire before I could crush you myself..."

Hercule had taken in everything Spopovich had to say and turned him and Pan away from him, wanting to end the conversation.

"Sorry, but you missed your chance."

He and Pan made their way elsewhere when...

"...so I guess I'll just have to settle with your daughter."

Pan could feel Hercule stopping in his tracks. As he turned around, she could almost feel an aura of anger around him.

"What did you say?"

Spopovich grinned.

"If I can't beat you in the ring, then Videl will suffice."

He had tried composing himself as much as he could through Spopovich's threats to his legacy, but this pushed him over the edge. Pan saw him approaching the massive fighter, pointing a finger right at him.

"You a low enough man to threaten my daughter?!"

"Threaten? No. It's a promise."

Roshi overheard all of this and turned away from Shen.

"You wanna fight me that bad?!"

Pan, having been left by Hercule, was in shock at what her grandfather was doing.

"Grandpa Hercule?"

Spopovich stood in anticipation at Hercule's intended punch, only to see Roshi pushing Hercule back.

"Let me go, Roshi! I beat the goatee off him before and I'll do it again!"

"Stop this," Roshi interjected, keeping him at bay even as Hercule kept trying to move forward. "You're just playing into his hands."

Shen laughed, relishing the fact Roshi had to hold Hercule back.

"If your pupil's father is having this much trouble keeping it together, then we'll see how far the apple falls from the tree."

Pan had stomached their insults towards Hercule, but once Shen remarked about her mother...

"Don't you talk about my mother that way!"

Shen and Spopovich both took notice of Hercule's granddaughter, her anger matching Hercule's from before. Spopovich tauntingly crouched down to her level.

"Ah, look at the little runt. Here to watch your mommy dearest?

She took a step forward, but Hercule grabbed hold of her to keep Spopovich away from her.

"Don't fret: we're just having a little chat."

Pan glared at him, trying to come up with words to express her distain for everything he had said thus far.

"What's the matter? Nothing else to say? Not even one word?"

She stuck her tongue out at him before Hercule backed away with her.

"Come, Spopovich. Let us leave these old men and their little mongrel."

All three of them were struck with how they described Pan. She tried flying out of Hercule's arms towards them.

"Old fart!"

Shen stopped immediately upon hearing this, turning with the slightest bit of annoyance on his face.

"My mom's gonna win, and you and your bully are gonna lose!"

Instead of replying, he simply turned away, him and Spopovich resuming their exit.

"YOU HEAR ME?!"

She tried wrestling through Hercule's arms more and more as he saw himself tiring from his efforts.

"Pan, honey, you're making a scene."

Roshi grabbed onto her shoulders.

"It's not worth it, Pan."

She saw him looking her in the eyes and stopped moving.

"Those two are despicable out of their own choosing. It is no reason for you to lower yourself to their level. Understand?"

After nodding to Roshi, she accompanied the three in silence towards their seats. She had been looking forward to seeing the fighters, but now this unpleasant encounter with Shen and Spopovich had begun to poison her day so far.

* * *

It was day 2 inside the training chamber. It still somewhat boggled her to think just how little time passed outside the chamber's doors while 24 hours passed for her. When she way ready, she met with the trio, already gathered outside talking amongst themselves until she arrived.

"So what's the game plan for today?"

"We talked it over last night," began Tien. "And we've decided going forward that the training each day'll be in three parts."

 **Part 1:**

Pan saw what looked like track lines for two people stenciled into the dirt, stretching off from nearby into the far distance.

"Did you make this yourself?"

"Well... I might've had a little help."

"And how did you know where to stop before the barriers?"

Yamcha put a hand on the back of his head and she could only catch a glimpse of a round bruise with two bandages in an x-shape.

"I... might've forgotten what Trunks told me."

Pan made a mental note to herself: always watch for the track lines whenever she flew.

"Anyway, before the Saiyans showed up, your granddad wasn't kicking back in Otherworld: he trained with the martial arts master King Kai on a small planet with greater gravity than Earth."

"Like it is here?"

"That's right... but before he got there, Goku had to traverse Snake Way, a pathway a million kilometers long."

"A million?!"

"It took Goku six months to cover the whole thing. Tien, Chiaotzu, and I had to cross it too. You wouldn't believe it, but we actually crossed it even faster."

Pan was in awe at this: like her grandfather Hercule defeating Goku, it seemed even now, humans always found a way to match or even beat Saiyans.

Yamcha had his hands to his sides in pride.

"Sometimes we humans even surprise ourselves."

Tien cleared his throat.

"What?"

"That was because of our training a year prior to the Saiyans." Tien explained. "We were stronger than Goku was after his fight with Raditz when we crossed."

After Tien contextualized this, Yamcha continued, sounding less like a braggard.

"Right. The point of this exercise being... the room's not a million kilometers obviously, but if we did laps, we could try to cover that distance over time."

Yamcha got down into a running stance as Pan slowly followed his lead.

"As long as you can, okay?"

After a nod from Pan, the two stormed off, running in such a blur that a normal human wouldn't have been able to see either of them: only a trail of dust from where they ran.

 **Part 2:**

Tien had drawn a sketch of some short creatures in the dirt for Pan to see.

"Before you get to the Saiyans, you'll have to get through the Saibamen: creatures they grow to handle tasks beneath them. The soil of any given planet determines how powerful they are. With Earth's soil, they were on the same level as Raditz."

As if facing an opponent as powerful as Raditz wasn't a horrible enough thought, now Pan had to imagine that level of power in multiple combatants at once.

"Chiaotzu will be your opponent."

She saw Chiaotzu approach and at first wondered how he would fill the part of several combatants on his own...

...until he split himself into four.

"Treat him and his clones as Saibamen. Do all that you can to stay in the fight."

Tien began to take his leave...

"One more thing: if any one of them manage to grab onto you, the session is over, so stay vigilant and keep your guard up at all times."

She saw that Tien had not left, but was only observing from a distance. Just then, one of the Chiaotzu's flew at her, trying to grab onto her arm. Pan managed to avoid it just in time, then gave her full attention to him and the other three.

 **Part 3:**

There she was face-to-face with Tien once again. Pan came at him with everything she had and he won with ease the day before. She knew he wouldn't be going at her like he did the day before, but even then, she still had to accept just how grueling the coming exercise was likely to be.

"Yesterday, I gave you the unwinnable battle. Now, I give you a chance at victory... but I won't hand it to you."

His two hands were out ready to strike.

"Are you ready?"

She grinned, taking on a stance. After the day before, she wasn't about to let Tien catch her off-guard before the actual fight began. The two already took a lone step towards each other, a lone fist from each already closing in.

* * *

Seven year old Pan sat between her father and Bulla as the rest of the Z-Fighters and their families had finished seeing the first seven quarter-final battles. Pan, Hercule, and Roshi hadn't seen Spopovich as of yet and all three were hoping he somehow didn't qualify. But after the announcer introduced the first combatant of the eighth match, a young man in rags with scuffs of dirt on him who looked to be from a poor village, he turned to the crowd.

"For those of you who were there for Hercule's very first tournament, you may recall that Spopovich was his opponent in the quarter-finals. While Hercule went on to win that tournament and three more in a row, Spopovich hadn't been seen or heard from in twenty years... until today."

He pointed to the tunnel.

"Here he is, folks: Spopovich."

His reception was somewhat neutral, but there were plenty of gasps from when they saw his completely shaved head, a green wrestling top, and martial arts pants.

"That really him? He shaved his head?"

"That wrestling meat head took up kung fu or something?"

As Spopovich took to the center of the ring, he glared at his opponent. In spite of this, the young man bowed to him.

"Good luck Mr. Spopovich, and may the best man win."

This gesture of respect and goodwill went unreturned by Spopovich as the announcer put his hand into the air.

"Begin!"

 ***GONG!***

The young man made the first few moves: a swinging kick to Spopovich's side and a left-handed punch to his chest. To the shock of him and the entire audience, Spopovich didn't even flinch. Instead, he grinned.

Immediately, the young man rolled out of the way of a downward punch, then continued backing away as his massive opponent walked calmly toward him. He was no child and was well past his teenage years, but even now, this man struggled to not shiver in the face of Spopovich's aura of intent. He took another step backward...

Then saw himself about to back out of the square and swerved forward to keep himself in play. He succeeded, but fell onto his knees and hands, seeing Spopovich still approaching. The announcer might've said a few things regarding the state of the match so far, but the young man didn't hear a thing, as if the entire world around him had gone completely silent, save for the footsteps of this giant before him. He was lost in thought for a few seconds, perhaps pondering if he should just forfeit the match right then and there.

But then he considered how far he came from home just to get there and what it would mean for him to just give up. What winning the tournament would mean for him and his family. He got back up, recomposing himself entirely, which Spopovich took notice of.

"He's back on his feet and now Spopivich has stopped in his tracks."

With fear no longer on his face, the young man came at Spopovich with a flurry, moving side-to-side as he threw punch after punch. Nothing seemed to hurt his opponent so far, but he didn't let himself get discouraged. Hitting him was akin to striking a solid material, but not quite like hitting a sheet of metal either: Spopovich was still a human, flesh and blood.

A sweep to Spopovich's legs didn't quite seem to work, but the young man bounced back with a blow to his stomach. No matter how futile it seemed at the moment, he kept trying, going across all the tournament-legal areas to hit excluding the eyes and groin. He was now working up a sweat and Spopovich hadn't attempted a counter move as of yet. Maybe the young man was moving just fast enough to keep him too occupied with where he was last to fight back. Or perhaps the man was foolish enough to stand in place and outlast him through durability alone.

He saw Spopovich's neck completely exposed. A strike there wouldn't be tournament-illegal and it might've been the best place to attack where it could actually hurt. With his hand ready to poke like a cobra, the young man thrust it at Spopovich's throat...

...and nothing still. Hercule couldn't believe this.

"What?! How is he...?!"

Just then, the young man felt a monstrous grip crushing his wrist. Roshi turned to Hercule.

"Shen's training."

With a twist of his own hand...

 ***SNAP!***

The young man closed his eyes and cried out, his hand dangling as if it were deflated. By the time he had opened his eyes again...

A punch to his face sent him crashing into the tile floor. He could barely feel his face, his nose was clearly bent out of place, blood was starting to drip from his forehead, and he spat out pieces of what were once teeth to keep from swallowing them.

But even now, he tried getting up. He had to try. His other hand aimed right for Spopovich's knee...

Only to be caught by Spopovich's hand once again. He flung him upward one-handed, then swung downward, slamming the young man back down into the same spot as before, leaving a greater indent than before. He then lifted the young man once more, who tried kicking away at him with whatever he had left.

"This is... absolutely brutal."

Spopovich looked over at Shen and from his posture alone without a single word, he could tell his master wanted him to end things already. He turned back to his opponent, who landed a two-legged kick to the top of his head with all his strength. Spopovich felt the faintest irritation: the tiniest cut from the impact.

With almost a feral snarl, he used his other hand to lift the young man up above his head, then stood on one leg, the other bent. He crouched over, one leg back, and his opponent came crashing down...

 ***CRACK!***

Back-first onto Spopovich's knee. He wasn't dead, nor was he snapped in two, but the crowd was completely silent. Even the announcer failed to so much as form words after what he saw.

"'May the best man win'?" taunted Spopovich in his defeated opponent's ear, not even caring if he could hear in that moment. "You're less than one."

He was finally finally let go and fell to the ground. The announcer tried to recompose himself just enough to begin the ten count.

"One... tw..."

"Don't bother counting." Spopovich scolded, turning away.

Pan was horrified at all of this, especially at what happened to Spopovich's opponent. She turned to her father.

"Is he...?"

She was tearing up.

"Is he dead?"

Gohan put his arms around her, trying as best as he could to comfort her as she put her head against him.

"It's all going to be okay, Pan."

Videl, who was watching all the matches through a window from a private room, didn't even know what to think of this. She had anticipated seeing fighters from all across the world try their hands at the chance to take her on, to prove themselves like she had years prior...

And she had just watched this savage act by the man her father had defeated 20 years ago. She didn't think anything ill of him before: just a fellow fighter that tried his best against her father long ago and had the tough luck of losing to him with ease. But this changed everything: Spopovich could have beaten the young man in so many different ways that would have left him far less injured, or comatose as she she feared he was, but instead, Spopovich took the most brutal and damaging as if it pleased him to break someone weaker than him.

"You!" Spopovich shouted from outside.

She looked downward at Spopovich, whom pointed right at her.

"I'm coming for you, champ! You're gonna be history! You hear me?!"

Bulla, while tearing up just as bad, tried reaching over to Pan, who turned her head to the ring, still crying, but her face scorn at Spopovich.

"You're gonna be history!"


	15. Straining Regiment! The Fateful Match!

10/20/19 update:

I haven't posted a chapter to this story here since March. Whatever the reason for this may be, I don't want to make excuses. I simply wish to continue where I left off, but also work towards a better method of writing here going forward.

To ensure I can finish this story proper, the remaining chapters will be either partly or entirely summarized in shorter detail. It is not ideal or what I wanted to do, but it is the only way I will be able to write out 60+ chapters of what will become a massive tale.

Lastly, I give a guarantee: this and the next six chapters will be out daily, and all future chapters until the conclusion will be out, at most, on a weekly to bi-weekly basis. I won't let months of inactivity occur again.

For those who have awaited this story's continuation, I sincerely apologize for the delay. I can only hope that the remaining chapters, summarized as they may be, will be satisfying. Good writing or bad, I will see Pan's Ascent through to the last typed word.

* * *

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

The first couple weeks in the Training Chamber start off comfortably enough for Pan, but upon finding that she has hardly increased her power level since she had entered, Tien decides to have himself, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu step up their sessions so she can level up to the required power level needed to even stand a chance against Nappa and Vegeta. Pan repeatedly finds herself struggling to keep up with Yamcha in their foot races, unable to prevent Chiaotzu and his clones from getting a hold of her ala-Saibamen, and being completely outclassed in her spars with Tien.

In her dreams, Pan thinks back to the 29th World Martial Arts Tournament final between Videl and her grandfather's former rival Spopovich. Despite appearing to be little more than a slow and brutish oaf throughout his initial matches, Spopovich's style completely changed, becoming much faster and more disciplined thanks to his time with the Crane School. Videl's training with Master Roshi allowed her to stand up to and match Spopovich with the battle seeming even throughout.

Back in Toki Toki City, as the Supreme Kai of Time is straining to slow down the most recent alteration in time, she sees Pima in the Time Nest with her, having slipped past the guard Ziko. The full-blooded Saiyan suspected that most of the city's power was going into giving Pan a fighting chance after what happened prior with Raditz and insisted that he would be the better candidate to take on the battle.

Distressed by the months that had passed with little to no progress to show regarding her power level, Pan finds herself falling apart in her sessions, either trying to succeed through rage or through allowing herself to take punishment. Tien sees this and refuses to aid her in improving through attempting to abuse the zenkai boost alone.

Infuriated at her mixed human and Saiyan heritage failing to elevate her, Pan angrily questions how she is stuck where she is when her mother Videl fought Hercule, whom managed to defeat Cell and Goku before she was born. Having lost all patience with her, Tien angrily discloses that Hercule didn't defeat Cell and that his "victories" against super-powered fighters were all hoaxes. At first, Pan denied what Tien had told her, but then memories of the 29th tournament came rushing back to her:

She witnessed her mother going for one final kick to end the match aimed for Spopovich's neck, only for Videl to hesitate and strike his shoulder, dislocating his arm. In that instant, Spopovich took aim with his other hand, firing a dodon ray through her left knee. With Videl vulnerable, he tackled her out of the square, slamming her into the ground outside the ring to win the match. Immediately afterward, Spopovich went on to tell the audience that Hercule defeating Cell was all a hoax and that he and Videl were beneath the bio-android. The crowd didn't buy it, Spopovich found himself booed by all the onlookers for daring to insult the champ, and Pan found no reason to believe him...

But with all Tien had revealed to her, Pan was crushed by the realization that what she considered a lie and slander against Hercule all those years ago was all true. She realized Hercule and even her mother, both humans, were nothing compared to Saiyans. Pan was left to ponder how she was only one-fourth Saiyan while the remaining three-fourths made her a "weakling".


	16. The Aftermath! Is It Too Late!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan recalled a memory from a few days after the 29th tournament, in which she listened to talk about the match on television. There, the hosts discussed Spopovich's claims about Hercule not defeating Cell or Goku, which they ruled to be false, but then discussed the possibility that Hercule gave Videl her win and her not being his equal. They then saw Videl's loss after one tournament compared to Hercule carrying four in a row as confirming their thesis.

Outside her room, Pan could hear Hercule being outraged about something and listened in. From what she could gather, the construction of a statue of Videl to commemorate her victory and one meant to stand alongside one of Hercule, was cancelled. Hercule was ready to use his money and resources to have it be finished, but Videl, a large bandage over her nose and using crutches for the time being due to her injury, insisted "there's no need for that." Reflecting on it in the present, Pan saw it as her mother giving up and being crushed by defeat.

Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Tien didn't see Pan at all the next day in the simulated desert of the training chamber, which Yamcha saw as her just needing a break. Tien, however, knew their exchange the other day had fundamentally changed her views of her grandfather Hercule and humans in general.

Pima, still in the Supreme Kai of Time's presence, continued to make his case. She made it clear to him that the reason he and other high-ranking patrollers couldn't take on the task was because their sheer power, even if they tried to hide it, put them at the greatest risk of altering history unwittingly. He then asked if that was worse than Pan getting killed and history changing as well since, if Pan failed, the Supreme Kai of Time would be too drained to stop it.

Back in the chamber in simulated night time, Pan thought for the first time in a while about the Dragon Balls and what she could do upon gathering all seven. Believing that her human side was "holding her back", she began to ponder the possibility that the Dragon Balls could make her into a full Saiyan like her grandfather Goku.

Tien requested to speak with her about the day before, to which Pan asked him if he ever battled against Cell. He answered that he once held Cell off in order for Lazuli to get to safety, successfully buying her time. Pan then pressed him further about what he did against Cell, to which Tien answered that even when using all his power and nearly draining himself of life energy, little harm was done to Cell and Tien would've died were it not for Goku's intervention.

This answer seemed to confirm to Pan the idea that all she had to look forward to was standing on the sidelines as an onlooker, not being able to do anything, and needing to rely on the help of someone far out of her league. In her anguish, Pan showed Tien the metal wrist band Trunks gave her to measure her power, stating that it had barely gone up at all since they started training months ago. Despite Tien's attempt to tell her power wasn't everything, Pan rebuffed this with the fact that she and all the Z-Fighters on her Earth were all nothing compared to her world's Frieza, then proceeded to throw the wrist band to the ground.

After letting out her anger, Pan vented her frustration at all the expectations that had come of her being Goku's granddaughter since her arrival, concluding that they needed her to be her grandfather Goku and she simply can't be. Tien consoled that Pan was right, that she wasn't her grandfather and that others asking her to become him was detrimental to her. He then apologized for his harsh methods, confessing that he truly didn't know how to train someone for a battle that'd determine the fate of time itself. He believed what he did was necessary to ensure her survival, but now he saw the harm it was doing to her.

Before leaving, Tien picked up the wrist band, seeing that the screen was cracked, making one of the digits harder to read. He then squeezed it, making the screen illegible. He simply told Pan not to worry about her power level and that it wasn't just about being the strongest fighter physically, but also winning through tactics.

Pan thought back to the earlier memory of Videl telling Hercule not to use his money to make others commemorate her. Young Pan shouted to her mother that she was giving up and stormed off to her room. Gohan tried to get her to calm down, but even knowing to behave for her father, Pan refused. Videl talked to Pan alone, trying to find out what was wrong. Pan stated she was upset about how Spopovich won even after everything he did, which Videl acknowledged was just how life is. She then talked about how now that Videl lost, everyone was saying she wasn't good enough and that she was nothing and a failure. Videl said it didn't matter to her, to which Pan asked why she was giving up.

After some thought, Videl reflected on how much worse the match could've gone and what that would've meant for Pan and Gohan, then answered that now that she had Pan, fame, winning, and her reputation didn't matter to her anymore. Pan worriedly wondered what would happen if she herself would end up a failure, to which Videl hugged her and explained that all that mattered was Pan doing her very best, no more or less.

Pima concluded his case regarding Pan, seeing her as not being able to match Nappa, which would ensure even if she survived against him that her death would be guaranteed against Vegeta. Trunks countered that Gohan and Krillin, despite not being on Nappa's level, managed to survive against Vegeta and that it was someone far weaker than Vegeta that prevented his victory. The full Saiyan retorted that things were different thanks to the power-ups villains were being given, then made it clear that he wasn't doing this out of ill will towards Pan, but because he truly believed whoever was behind everything would succeed and time would be irrevocably changed.

Chronoa admitted she knew Pan's limitations at the moment and that the possibility of her failing was very real. Trunks also confessed that her being the granddaughter of Goku didn't make her his equal or automatically guaranteed their success.

The next day in the chamber, Pan returned from her quarters and resumed her training. Much time passed and she still didn't see rapid progress, but now that her mindset had changed and Tien changed his methods, she kept up her efforts in spite of her seeming short-comings. As the final month approached, Pan still couldn't catch Yamcha, but was able to keep him in her sights and wasn't as far behind. Chiaotzu and his clones inevitably caught her like before, but Pan's speed and strategies allowed her to keep them at bay for longer. Tien still remained the victor of each of their spars, but he found himself taking more hits and having to step up his efforts.

Trunks ended the conversation between the three with the belief that training for such events is something heroes can never do with ease, and even in the events themselves, they are never truly ready, but that they work to find a way, no matter the odds or the difference in power. And with that, he believed Pan would be able to do just that.


	17. Training Is Over! Saibamen Strife!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan woke up on the last day in the Time Chamber unable to sense Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Tien initially. She searched around the premises for them, believing them to be preparing a surprise attack to fully test her capabilities. Finally, the three revealed themselves, shouting "Surprise!" and intending for their last day in the chamber to be fun after all their hard work over the course of six months.

One of their activities included a game of baseball, in which Tien or Chaiotzu would use their Four Witches technique to have four additional catchers when the other was batting. Pan found Yamcha's pitches to be nearly unbeatable, but also came up with her own pitching technique involving the afterimage technique. As there was no real scoring in the game, the four simply enjoyed the time they had playing together.

That night, as Yamcha and Chiaotzu relaxed by an open fire, Tien took Pan to the side and discussed what would be a critical factor in her battle the next day: that the man leading the Saibamen and the Saiyan Nappa was in fact Vegeta. He stressed that in spite of becoming the husband of Bulma and being the father of Trunks and Bulla, Vegeta was a vastly different person before he came to Earth and that Pan couldn't afford to go easy on him because she knew he'd become her best friend's father. He concluded that should the Supreme Kai of Time require her to face Vegeta, it would be the fight of her life, and even more so than the Saibamen and Nappa before him.

The next day, Trunks walked in the direction of the academy, only to see Pan, her Time Patrol training jacket partially tattered, already approaching him with the three human Z-Fighters behind her. Trunks saw the wrist device he gave her to measure her power was damaged and inquired about the cause, to which Tien answered that he accidentally struck it too hard. Pan was told afterward that the Supreme Kai of Time couldn't hold back the change much longer and advised her to get ready as quickly as she could. Before she left, Trunks handed Pan a pair of grey boots, telling her they were made specifically to withstand damage from ki, unlike her shoes from her battle with Raditz.

Once she departed from the group, Trunks informed the three Z-Fighters that in order to prevent changes to time that their memories of the Time Patrol, Toki Toki City, Pan, and their time in the Training Chamber had to be suppressed before their return to their timeline. All three understood the circumstances, and Yamcha even believed with how much they grew in that time that they were more than capable of doing so even without the memory.

Back in her traditional uniform, she came to the Time Nest, seeing the Surpreme Kai of Time straining at this point and Pima standing nearby. Upon first grasping the scroll, she saw the possible change she was trying to stop:

Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin lying in round craters with pieces of Saibamen around them, Gohan and Piccolo exhausted and heavily bruised, and Yamcha fending off the final Saibamen while missing his left hand. He fired off a blast with all his remaining ki and life force, destroying the Saibamen at the cost of his own life. Nappa, entirely untouched at this point, fired off a one-handed beam at Gohan, who couldn't even move while Piccolo flew in front of him to protect Goku's son. He took the brunt of the blast, but it didn't take long for the blast to tear through Piccolo and envelop Gohan soon after, reducing him to nothing.

Once this concluded, Pima put a hand on Pan's shoulder, telling her that he would trust her to do what had to be done, but that should she fail or be killed that he would immediately put things in their proper place. Pan nodded back to him, understanding, and placed her Power Pole on her back behind her cape before finally being transported.

As per history, Yamcha, Ciaotzu, Tien, Krillin, Gohan, and Piccolo stood against Nappa, Vegeta, and Tien volunteered to face the first Saibamen and at first had the advantage over it. Upon grounding it and the Saibamen not appearing to move, it suddenly glowed a purple hue and fired a burst of acid faster than Tien could react, heavily scarring his left arm. In his condition, he could hardly move and the other five watched in horror as the Saibamen lunged at him for a grapple.

Before it could succeed, Pan flew in, kicking it into a large boulder, then firing off a barrage of ki blasts. Soon after, the spectators saw that this Saibamen was barely alive, then turned to Pan with some remembrance of her from her two prior battles. As the Saibamen tried in vain to get up, Vegeta swiftly killed it with a blast. He insisted that since the original deal was one-on-one and that this "girl" had interfered in the "three-eyed man's" match that the remaining five would all attack at once. As the Saibamen began attacking the six, she saw Piccolo practically guarding the young child who would become her father. Her focus turned to Tien, who was fighting back, but was still injured from the spray he took earlier and began to struggle. When two Saibamen tried to gang up on him, she fought back-to-back with him. Pan soon realized that in spite of the ambush she pulled off earlier, the Saibamen were still formidable individually.

After Yamcha managed to send one into the ground with a Kamehameha, the other four Saibamen regrouped, leaving the Z-Fighters a breather to come up with a plan. Trunks jumped onto the comms, about to inform Pan of something that was about to happen. As the six Z-Fighters believed the Saibamen Yamcha felled to be dead, they turned towards the Saiyans, with Yamcha telling them off, proclaiming that they wouldn't get Earth. As he began to threaten them over laying a finger on someone, the Saibamen thought to be dead lunged at Yamcha. Pan, not hearing what Trunks was telling her in the heat of the moment, shouted "YAMCHA!" to warn him. He heard Pan and began to turn his body to get out of the way, but it still managed to grab him by his arm. He turned back to Pan and the Z-Fighters, and, seeing in her eyes that she was deathly afraid of what was to come, his thoughts turned to Bulma before the Saibamen exploded.

Elsewhere, the two mysterious figures saw what had transpired, with the shorter figure seeing what Pan had tried to do as "intriguing".


	18. Z-Fighter Down! Three To Go!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

In the aftermath, Pan and the five Z-Fighters saw Yamcha's dead body, crumpled over in a crater as per the vision she saw of the others in the scroll prior to the mission. The Supreme Kai of Time immediately jumped onto comms to scold Pan for nearly altering the past, to which Trunks attempted to deflate the situation by stating he understood why she did what she did. In spite of this, the Supreme Kai of Time gave her ultimatum: the objective was to ensure Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo's survival, and not to interfere with Tien and Chiaotzu, no matter what. The thought was tearing her apart inside, but Pan agreed and attempted to compose herself in the face of the imminent battle.

Vegeta laughed at the fallen Z-Fighter and told the rest to pick up their trash. Pan was shocked at hearing Vegeta speaking like this, but tried telling herself that he would change. Soon after, instead of waiting on the Saibamen first, Nappa insisted he join in the battle to finish them quickly. Vegeta allowed this and the Z-Fighters now had to fend off both the four remaining Saibamen and Nappa's assault. Pan had to zoom across the area, stopping Saibamen from wearing down Krillin and guarding Gohan alongside Piccolo.

Piccolo, seeing Tien struggling against Nappa, insisted that she help him instead. As much as she wanted to, she remained where she was, even as she saw Tien having his left wrist chopped by Nappa's strike. Krillin was preparing a technique of sorts, but found himself swarmed by four Saibamen at once. As they tried to dog pile him, Pan blew them back with a burst of ki, then slammed them to the ground with swings from the power pole. Krillin noted its similarity to the one Goku used, but then focused on the opportunity in front of him, firing off what seemed to be a slow-moving blast until it split apart. The scattering bullets then struck down and destroyed the four Saibamen, leaving only one remaining.

Seeing Gohan about to be grappled by the last Saibamen, Pan flew in to stop it, but found the intended grapple stopped by Piccolo, who grabbed it by his hand. After throwing the Saibamen and vaporizing it with a mouth beam, he questioned why she was so concerned with protecting Gohan, even as far back as their battle against Raditz a year prior. Trying to answer him without giving away anything, Pan responded that she didn't want "the kid" getting hurt. He scoffed at this, telling her to watch Gohan since she appeared more concerned with his safety than that of those two (Tien and Chiaotzu).

Knowing she couldn't interfere, she stood guarding Gohan as she saw Tien and Chiaotzu failing to harm Nappa, and Krillin and Piccolo trying to assist them. Gohan turned to her and asked why she wasn't helping them, to which Pan couldn't come up with an answer for the boy that would become her father. Upon seeing Chiaotzu lunging onto Nappa's back, Gohan told her he wasn't going to stand by and do nothing, and joined the battle. Pan followed and also joined in the assault, but once a glow began to emerge from Chiaotzu, she and the other Z-Fighters backed up. Tien, seeing that Chiaotzu was about to detonate himself, tried telling him to stop, but his life long friend was content with his decision and left smoke and debris in the aftermath.

To both Pan's and Tien's anguish, they saw that Nappa was barely harmed and that Chaiotzu's sacrifice was for nothing. As Nappa flew to attack Tien, Piccolo and Krillin managed to knock him away in Gohan's direction. Piccolo shouted at Gohan to attack with everything he had, but Gohan instead ducked out of the way. Nappa recovered and clashed with Krillin and Piccolo, knocking them down. The Namekian turned to Pan, blaming her for Gohan hesitating from watching her a year prior. In his last-ditch effort, Tien fired off a powered up one-handed Tri-Beam at Nappa, putting everything into it, only to see the Saiyan dodging it.

After Tien fell down dead, Vegeta taunted him for dying "like a dog", further revealing to Pan the kind of man Vegeta once was. She was then informed that the beam was supposed to damage Nappa and his armor, and, since it was prevented, this could cause any number of unwarranted changes. As she was told to try inflicting the damage herself, she saw Nappa already coming right towards her. Since, according to Trunks, a three hour stop to the fight would commence at some point, it was advised that she try to keep Nappa from the three remaining Z-Fighters for the time being.

In the distance from the four spectators, with Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan making no moves against Vegeta due to the glow of power he emanated, Pan and Nappa battled one-on-one, finding themselves more evenly matched than either would have expected. Pan started to worry if Nappa was pushing her and what this would mean in the case of Vegeta, and Nappa openly wondered if this "scrawny girl" was actually a Saiyan like him. Finally, she managed to catch Nappa with her Maiden's Blast, which seared his armor and partially hurt him. Just then, Vegeta summoned Nappa, and the two returned to the main battleground to discover that Vegeta intended for the fighting to stop for three hours maximum. When realizing Vegeta's only reason for doing this was because he was intrigued from hearing about the power of "Kakarot" from the others, Pan began to hope that this would be a point of redemption for Bulla's father.

Not wanting Pan to be bombarded from questions, the Supreme Kai of Time had Pan teleported out before anyone could notice, removing the memory of her being there for the time being. She returned to the Time Nest, being informed that there was another change already beginning to occur and that she had only a brief duration to rest. She asked how long she had to protect the remaining three before Goku arrived, to which Trunks told her it'd take several minutes, then fumblingly stated not to worry about Piccolo. Upon catching this, the Supreme Kai of Time urged Pan that what Piccolo was going to do would be a pivotal moment in both his and Gohan's lives, and she must not stop it. Seeing the Supreme Kai of Time tiring from holding back the new change, Pan was sent back, only for everyone to wonder how she disappeared and where she was for the three hours they waited.

Piccolo pointed out that three hours earlier (in his time), Pan wasn't using her full power against Nappa, and began to question just whose side she was really on, but Gohan and Krillin insisted they needed all the help they could get. Vegeta, his scouter's timer having gone off, commanded Nappa to get back on the attack. After Piccolo's plan to grab and pull onto Nappa's tail succeeded, but with little to no effect on the Saiyan, the Namekian was knocked unconscious, leaving it up to Pan, Krillin, and Gohan.

When Krillin threw his Destructo-Disk, Nappa simply tilted his head to avoid it. Even Gohan, who at this point in history was supposed to be getting in major blows, found Nappa's defenses sharper than before. Pan intervened, keeping Nappa at bay with the Power Pole. Swinging her grandfather's weapon the hardest she could, it struck Nappa's cheek, leaving a blunt scar.

This combined with a burning blast to his back by the now-conscious Piccolo and a pummeling through rock by Gohan enraged the Saiyan. He fired off a massive beam toward Gohan, who was too scared to move. Before the thought came to Pan to intervene, she saw Piccolo shielding Gohan, and understood that the moment before her was the day Piccolo changed for the better.

Piccolo fell, his wounds fatal, and his last words heard only by Gohan. Soon after Piccolo died, everyone nearby could sense a presence approaching them from a far distance: Goku. Vegeta ordered Nappa to finish them off quickly to demoralize him, and Nappa went right for Gohan. Krillin and Pan both stood before him, but with a gesture of his hands, both were blown away from him. He swung his hand down on Gohan, but found no trace of him. Everyone turned to see Gohan sitting on the Flying Nimbus and Goku standing before them: he had finally arrived to put things right.

Instead of being infuriated or nervous, the mysterious figure seemed content to see his arrival, indicating to her partner that history could still change yet.


	19. Goku Arrives! Terror of Vegeta!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Upon tending to Gohan and Krillin, and acknowledging the help Pan had done in protecting them, he turned his attention to the two Saiyans, as well as the bodies of Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo nearby. He inquired where Chiaotzu was, to which Nappa joyously announced that Chiaotzu blew himself up in a pathetic effort to bring him down. After taunting that Chiaotzu and the others were nothing but weaklings, Goku grew enraged at Nappa, charging with a massive amount of ki, one that even gave Vegeta pause.

After stating to Nappa that his scouter gave Kakarot a reading of over eight thousand, Vegeta gave his comrade the order to attack. The two clashed, but while initially caught off-guard by Goku, Nappa soon seemed to adapt, nearly matching him. Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time informed Pan that Nappa should've been far more overwhelmed and, while they anticipated Goku would ask her to let him handle this alone, Pan had to intervene. As predicted, Goku was hesitant in accepting her aid, though Krillin and Gohan plead with him. Nappa noticed Goku was heeding the words of his comrades, but after being knocked back, turned his attention back to his opponent, the two flying into each other and clashing in midair.

Nappa fired his Break Cannon from his mouth, which Goku made no attempt to dodge. As the attack dissipated, Pan collided with him, but Nappa blocked her attack. With both struggling to overpower the other, Nappa told Vegeta that the only explanation for this was that Pan was a Saiyan like the two of them. Just then, Vegeta shouted at Nappa to turn around, which he did, seeing Goku nearly untouched after the Break Cannon save for some searing on Goku's wristbands. Trunks feared Goku might've actually taken damage, unlike in history where his ki alone was enough to stop it.

In a rage after being ordered to leave Kakarot to Vegeta, Nappa went flying towards Gohan and Krillin. Pan flew in after him, grabbing hold of his tail, which he initially scoffed at. Just then, she stomped on his back with both her feet, then pulled his tail as hard as she could, actually causing Nappa pain in doing so. After Nappa elbowed and knocked Pan away, he flew in even faster, about to finish them. Pan heard Goku shouting "Kaio-Ken", flying in fast enough to intercept Nappa, striking his back, knocking him towards the ground, then catching him. This left Nappa crippled, unable to fight any longer and only able to crawl back to Vegeta.

Goku gave the two Saiyans the ultimatum of leaving Earth, but Pan heard Nappa asking Vegeta for help, and saw the Saiyan Prince putting his hand out to him. Once Nappa took it, he was flung into the air by his comrade, then, even amidst his begging, was obliterated by a blast. After witnessing Nappa destroyed by Vegeta, a grin on the Saiyan Prince's face, Pan began to wonder if this was all because of what Frieza did to him or if this was just how Vegeta was. It looked as though history was back on point when Vegeta glowed with a purple aura and struck Goku unannounced.

Trunks suspected whoever was manipulating his father wanted him and Goku to fight right then and there instead of a desert canyon Goku was supposed to lead him to first. The Supreme Kai of Time wasn't sure what Pan should do, as she freely feared even after her training that she was well below Vegeta's power. Pan simply asked if Trunks could direct her there himself and that'd she handle it.

In mid-fight, Goku told Krillin and Gohan to leave, then asked Vegeta to fight him elsewhere. Vegeta wasn't moved, still attacking him, forcing Pan to blast at him with ki blasts. He swiftly avoided them while still battling Goku, to which she flew in close for a flurry. The Saiyan Prince blocked attacks from both her and Goku before a palm rocketed her to the ground. During this, Goku found an opening, landing his first blow against Vegeta. Pan, getting up from a blow far stronger than Nappa's, began to fly off into the far distance. Goku noticed this and flew after her, Vegeta following soon after.

Catching up to her, Goku asked Pan if she also wanted to move the battle elsewhere, then asked her to follow him. Vegeta decided not to waste his energy attacking for the time being and followed suit. Upon arriving in the desert, Vegeta gave the two only a brief respite, announcing his superiority due to coming from a royal Saiyan bloodline. Once Goku rebuked this with the concept that even a lower ranked could challenge an elite, Vegeta questioned Pan as to why she was even involved to begin with. Trying not to give anything away, but needing to answer, she responded that she wouldn't let anyone else die.

Throughout their battle, Pan found herself barely able to keep up with Goku and Vegeta's battle, and even as she attempted to intervene, Vegeta simply avoided them or his sheer movements blew her backward. Realizing that Vegeta's power-up was getting the better of Goku even with Kaio-Ken, Pan tried something differently by using the Power Pole. As Vegeta caught a jabbing Power Pole with his hand, he taunted her about using a blunt instrument. Before he could fire off a blast with his other hand, Pan quickly shouted "Power Pole Extend", landing her first attack against Vegeta and pinning him to a wall. This also allowed Goku to knock him through several afterward, after which he noticed the Power Pole Pan held, stating that it reminded him of the one he used to wield.

Vegeta reemerged, this time on the offensive against Pan, his punches blocked by the Power Pole, but still knocking her backward. Robbing Pan of her weapon soon after, he swung it at her, putting a blunt cut on her back and slicing off her cape. After a knee to her stomach knocked her into a wall, Vegeta prepared to throw the Power Pole at her head, only for Goku to land a critical blow to Vegeta's armor. The thrown Power Pole barely missed her and lodge itself in the wall next to her as Goku unleashed a Kaio-Ken times three onslaught on Vegeta.

Goku returned soon after to check on Pan, the Kaio-Ken already taking a toll on him, until Vegeta recovered in a rage. Intending to end the battle then and there and destroy the Earth, he flew into the air for his Garlick Gun, which Goku countered with the Kamehameha. Vegeta's power-up began to take hold, overpowering even Goku's Kaio-Ken times four power-up, and threatening to overtake his Kamehameha.

Pan didn't know if her own Kamehameha could help to turn the side, but knowing she had to do something, she flew upward behind Vegeta and began firing ki blasts at him. Though they all landed, none of them even phased the Saiyan Prince. With a more powerful charged shot, Pan finally harmed Vegeta enough to catch him off-guard, throwing off his focus long enough for Goku's Kamehameha to tear through his Galick Gun.

The two watched as Vegeta was sent far into the sky by the Kamehameha, followed by Yajirobe joining them. Pan saw Goku barely able to stand, and she and Yajirobe tried to help him stay upright. Despite Yajirobe celebrating their victory, Goku and Pan sensed Vegeta's survival and his impending return. Goku told Yajirobe to get to a safe distance, then watched as Vegeta hovered back down with a glowing object in his hand. After seeing Vegeta toss it into the sky, Goku and Pan witnessed in terror Vegeta growing in size and his face violently morphing, concluding with him towering over his opponents as a Great Ape.


	20. A Great Ape! An Unveiling!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Upon his transformation's completion, Vegeta lunged at them, forcing Pan and Goku to flee from their massive foe. Neither knowing if they could even damage Vegeta at this point, they made their way through the canyon's structures only to find the Great Ape always keeping pace with them.

After using the Solar Flare to momentarily blind Vegeta, Goku fled, trying to gather energy for his Spirit Bomb. Pan attempted to defend Goku upon Vegeta finding them, but even her Kamehameha could only delay his approach. She stopped her attack to avoid draining herself completely, and flew around the Great Ape's head to hold his attention. While her ki blasts annoyed him far more, Vegeta kept to his intended path.

She finally stopped Vegeta by landing in front of him and extended the Power Pole, striking his chin and forcing him to back up. With a punting kick, he struck the Power Pole, knocking Pan to the side and sending her weapon so far out of range she couldn't hope to recover it and return in time. She tried getting up, but Vegeta's next step forced her into a stumble, leaving her open to a falling punch. Despite creating a shield of ki around herself, the impact shattered it and left her further exposed to a stomp.

Left injured in the crater the punch and stomp created, Pan could only watch as Great Ape Vegeta fired a beam from his mouth, finally reaching Goku. As she turned over onto her stomach, she witnessed Vegeta stomping on Goku's legs, then pointing to fire at him only to stop his attack. She couldn't hear the conversation between the two, but she did see Goku firing one last beam at the Great Ape's right eye. In retaliation, Vegeta grabbed hold of Goku and began squeezing him, during which Pan endured her grandfather's screams of pain.

Soon after, she saw Gohan arriving, followed by Krilling throwing a Destructo-Disk at Great Ape Vegeta's tail. As per history, Vegeta leapt over it, but as he taunted them, a purple aura took hold of him. Once it covered him, he instinctively turned around, avoiding Yajirobe's sword swing and knocking him away with his tail.

Pan, Trunks, and the Supreme Kai of Time watched as history began to change before their very eyes: Krillin flew after Yajirobe, and Gohan tried to attack Great Ape Vegeta to save Goku, but none of his attacks could do a thing to the Great Ape. Upon Krillin's returned, he joined in as well, about to fire off a Solar Flare, but Vegeta swat him into the distance with his freed hand. Gohan went into a rage and collided with Vegeta's chest, trying with all of his might to push him over, and, to Vegeta and Pan's surprise, actually forced the Great Ape to take one step backward.

Out of frustration, Vegeta swatted Gohan towards the ground with his freed hand, rolling close to Pan's crater. Vegeta looked over at Goku's two grounded allies, turned Goku towards Gohan, and taunted him over what would occur first: Goku being crushed in his hands, or him living long enough to see his son killed. Pan looked up and saw Vegeta's mouth beginning to glow, but then noticed Gohan trying to get her attention. Once he had it, even though Pan couldn't hear him, Gohan managed to mouth the words "You can do it", the same words she had told him in their battle against Raditz.

Redetermined by the words given to her from the child who would become her father, Pan floated off the ground, then charged with all the ki she could muster. Right as Great Ape Vegeta's charging mouth beam began to reach its apex, she flew between his legs and took hold of his tail, tugging with everything she had. As the beam finally fired, Vegeta saw it miss and felt himself being lifted off the ground by his tail. In spite of his power, the squeezing pressure on his tail combined with the pull off the ground left him unable to break out of it. For the first time, Vegeta felt an agonizing pain in his tail, so much so he let go of Goku, who landed close to his son.

Trunks and Supreme Kai of Time witnessed Pan flying higher into the air while lifting up Great Ape Vegeta, but also saw the strain on her body that she was powering through without even feeling. The two opened communications with Pan, telling her she had to stop what she was doing. At first, Pan didn't even respond, hellbent in the moment on getting Vegeta as high up as she could. Trunks insisted to Pan that both Gohan and Goku were alright and that it was time to let Vegeta go. Still receiving no response, both knew that if Pan kept this up, her body would break down completely and she would likely be killed.

Both tried to think of what to do then and there, to which Trunks mentioned Bulla, which gave Pan pause even with all her adrenaline and instincts raging through her. He told her to let Vegeta go, and that it's all for Bulla's sake. Both due to hearing Trunks' words and the strain finally registering, she descended, nearly throwing Vegeta downward. As she saw the Great Ape crash into the ground first, she mustered just enough ki to soften her landing before landing on her back. As Great Ape Vegeta struggled to even get on all fours, Yajirobe lunged at his tail, slicing it off with a single swing of his katana. Pan watched as Vegeta began to revert back to his self until she lost consciousness.

Seeing the battle wasn't over, Pima believed he had to cover for the unconscious Pan, but the three of them saw that despite the power-up Vegeta had been given, the pain from his tail in his Great Ape form prevented Vegeta from vastly overpowering the remaining Z-Fighters. They watched as it appeared history was restored back to its proper form.

Pan opened her eyes, seeing Krillin placing his hand on Goku's followed by the Spirit Bomb forming in the Earthling's palm. Her eyes closed, then reopened to see Gohan taking the fight to Vegeta, though ultimately not stopping the Saiyan Prince. Once more, she blacked out, then awoke to see Krillin's tossed Spirit Bomb missing Vegeta, but ultimately hitting its mark after Gohan deflected it back. She watched for as long as she could as the Saiyan Prince was forced into the sky out of her view until her vision went dark.

This time, when her eyes opened, Pan saw Yajirobe, who was helping her to sit up. He complimented her on her feat as Krillin and Gohan looked over at her happily, the battle finally won. Goku, while immobilized and unable to speak, looked her in the eye and somehow managed to communicate telepathically with her, giving Pan his thanks for saving his son on both occasions.

As she managed to make it onto her feet and stand, she nearly lost her footing as something came crashing to the ground: Vegeta, who quickly got off his back and knocked Krillin away with a simple swing. He then emitted a massive explosion, during which Pan shielded Gohan, but was soon sent flying backward along with him. While Vegeta sparred with Yajirobe, Pan noticed Gohan's tail, which was hidden throughout the entire battle, as well as the artificial moon Vegeta created to transform himself still shining down on them. Seeing Yajirobe being beaten savagely by the enraged Vegeta, she was told that Gohan transforming into a Great Ape was the key to their victory. Pan whispered for her father to forgive her for what she was going to do, and held Gohan in the moon's direction so he would see it clearly.

Within seconds, Gohan grew in size and Vegeta turned his full attention towards her after pushing Pan out of the way. In spite of attempting to kill Gohan before he could complete the transformation, the Great Ape took hold of him and tossed him into the distance. While Krillin at first celebrated this, the Great Ape smashing the area around him revealed that Gohan was not himself and more akin to a wild animal. Pan flew in front of the Great Ape, putting her hands on his face to try and calm him down. As Vegeta reemerged, she saw the Great Ape turn around and lunge high into the air towards the Saiyan Prince, unsure if what she attempted worked.

Vegeta, knowing he would be overpowered in a prolonged bout, tried to finish it quickly and threw a disk at Gohan's tail, successfully cutting it off. A burst of purple ki enveloped Vegeta and Pan, Trunks, and the Supreme Kai of Time had a feeling this was a last-ditch to ensure Vegeta avoided his fated defeat. Knowing that Vegeta couldn't be allowed to escape this, Pan flew into his view and fired a Kamehameha at him, which he descended to avoid. To his surprise, Pan bent the Kamehameha, which came downward after him, which she learned from watching Goku do the same against Raditz long before. The Saiyan Prince blocked it successfully, ready to taunt Pan until he saw himself too late to avoid the falling body of the shrinking, but still massive Great Ape.

In the aftermath, Vegeta crawled out from underneath the unconscious body of Gohan, truly unable to continue fighting and desperate to get to his pod. Krillin approached him, Yajirobe's sword in hand, about to stab Vegeta when he stopped. Pan saw Krillin turn towards Goku, indicating he was speaking to Krillin telepathically like he did for her. Krillin ranted about how Vegeta wasn't going to turn over a new life like Piccolo, and that he was completely irredeemable. Pan soon caught the purple aura around Krillin, whose eyes turned red as he declared he'd kill Vegeta no matter what Goku said.

She intervened, standing in Krillin's path and pleading with him not to do this. This did nothing to deter Krillin, who promised he'd do whatever it takes, even if it meant killing whoever tried to stop him. Knowing Krillin wasn't himself, Pan fought him, but with both so exhausted from the prolonged battles before, neither made any effort defensively. After receiving a cut to her cheek from the katana, she managed to disarm Krillin of the blade and struck him on the neck, knocking him out. Even with this, she saw Krillin getting back up slowly, almost akin to a puppet, and wondered what to do. Just then, Goku spoke to her telepathically, knowing that someone had to be possessing Krillin to do all this and informing her he detected a strange ki from far behind the pod itself.

Pan flew off quickly, wanting to get to the bottom of this before the possessed Krillin would finish the job, eventually finding a woman in red with a white hood and cape using a staff of some kind glowing with the same purple aura afflicting Krillin. She fired a ki blast, damaging the staff and freeing Krillin of its influence, then went for a punch when a massive man garbed in red, black, and white with blue skin stood in front of the woman, shielding her from the blow with his own body. Pan reeled afterward, her hand hurt just from the impact with him, allowing the man to gut punch her, hitting with a force greater than even Great Ape Vegeta. He put his hand in front of her face, about to fire off a point-blank blast Pan was in no position to avoid when the woman pulled his arm away from Pan, stating "That's enough, Mira". As she readied herself to depart, she looked over at Pan, telling her "Continue Chronoa's bidding for now, but you'll know better soon enough."

As she saw this woman and Mira vanish, Pan also saw the canyon disappear, replaced shortly by the Time Nest. Trunks and Pima both helped Pan upward as the Supreme Kai of Time told her after she flew after the source of Krillin's possession, Pan's communications went silent and they lost sight of her. Pan answered that the hooded woman was protected by a bodyguard named Mira, who stopped her with one punch, and that she referred to someone named Chronoa. After Pan asked who this was, the Supreme Kai of Time revealed Chronoa was her name and that only three people in the Time Patrol knew of it: Trunks, Commander Hale, and a former patroller named Towa.


	21. Who Is Towa? Kaio-Ken!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

After having a senzu bean to heal from her battles prior, Pan listened as both Chronoa and Trunks explained who Towa was:

Towa hailed from the Demon Realm, having a talent for science and technology, but had little to no influence in her home world. In the early days of the Time Patrol, they needed assistance in building and sustaining the Time Patrol's tech, so the two decided to recruit her. While she never trained for combat, she flourished, helping in the early years of Toki Toki City.

They acknowledged her brilliance, but then moved on to what happened: Towa attempted to alter the main timeline for her own gain, which Trunks had to stop. Afterward, she went rogue, leaving Toki Toki City and attempting to alter the timeline several times. Years had passed since her last attempt, and with her being behind the latest attempted alterations, Chronoa and Trunks realized the idea of Towa giving up or moving on was too good to be true. With what Towa had pulled off so far with her power-ups and this ally of hers called Mira, both feared the worst had yet to come.

As the four of them left the library, Pima went ahead through the gate, understanding he was not needed yet, but stating he would be training for if a day were to come where he would be. Pan decided if nothing else was needed of her, she would depart as well, but she found her path blocked by the bearded owl she had encountered prior, whom Chronoa introduced as Tokitoki.

When Pan asked if Tokitoki was Chronoa's pet, the Supreme Kai of Time explained that he wasn't her pet, but that she was Tokitoki's caretaker and had been so for millions of years. After Pan got over her shock at both Tokitoki and Chronoa's astounding age, the Supreme Kai of Time elaborated that Tokitoki, being a divine bird, was incredibly important to their universe and time itself, and that ensuring his safety was of paramount importance.

Once Pan inquired if Tokitoki was very powerful, Chronoa elaborated that physically, he wasn't much to brag about, but he has power over time, making him vital to producing time itself. Even after this clarification, Tokitoki did not take the small jab lightly and flew up to Chronoa, cawing at her angrily. After Chronoa argued back at Tokitoki, telling him to watch his language, Trunks insisted it may take a while and that they'd get back to Pan at another time.

Instead of heading back to her housing unit, Pan sought out Amura, eventually locating her along with Umiu. Her two fellow patrollers in training asked her what it was like to tackle such massive events and battles, but Pan immediately changed the subject upon revealing she saw the Kaio-Ken and a technique of Nappa's, both of which Amura used against Pan herself in their spar long ago. Amura revealed that a large variety of techniques wielded by countless warriors throughout history could be learned by the patrollers and that she had picked them up from others.

Having seen how the Kaio-Ken boosted a fighter of Goku's caliber, Pan requested that Amura teach her how to use that technique, to which Umiu asked the same. Amura agreed to teach the two the technique, but warned that even for her to use it as briefly as she did before took months of training, and that the slightest error could put both their lives in danger. Both accepted the risk and accompanied Amura to the academy's training grounds.

From there, Amura tried to describe the process as basically as she could: that it was multiplying one's ki for a fraction of a second, greatly enhancing power, speed, and even senses, but takes a great toll on the body over time. Since Amura herself had yet to master Kaio-Ken times three or four, and as Pan and Umiu had never attempted it prior, she only wanted them to try working towards the standard version. Amura stood in place and demonstrated the technique first, both Pan and Umiu taking a step back from its power, as well as Pan sensing it was far stronger than when Amura used it in their battle. The two of them were instructed not to move around and just to try to get their power to multiply, then stabilize it.

Pan and Umiu charged up their ki, then shouted "Kaio-Ken!", seeing their ki briefly grow and take on a red hue, then immediately reverted back. Amura believed they weren't timing it correctly and taking too long to multiply their power, and waited for them to attempt it once more. In their second attempt, Pan and Umiu's ki grew moreso and remained red somewhat longer, but still lost it again. For their third try, Pan and Umiu's Kaio-Kens finally resembled Amura's and lasted for several seconds.

Seeing their progress, Amura wondered if they should try moving, but then saw that Pan's ki continued to grow even further. She told Pan to stop and power down, but Pan found she couldn't, feeling a great strain and seeing her muscles greatly increase along with her ki. Umiu had the same issue, but also seemed to grow massively, beginning to tower over the two of them. Both fell to their knees, their veins visible across their skin and struggling to breathe as Amura called for help. Pan and Amura finally managed to exit the Kaio-Ken, but after falling to their sides, they both lost consciousness.

* * *

Pan awoke, once again seeing Beetro watching over her.

"Kaio-Ken..." he started. "Perhaps one of the most common cases I heal patrollers from. So many attempt it, but very few master it."

She looked down at her arms, which were still bulkier than usual and the veins, while smaller, were still easily noticeable.

"It will take a bit more time for your body and Umiu's to revert to normal, though if you two continue to train with that technique like your friend Amura, it will take less time going forward."

Aside from her mind wandering back to her first experience using Kaio-Ken, she thought back to the discussion regarding Towa and her former status in the Time Patrol.

"Beetro, you're a non-combatant, right?"

"Yes. In fact, I joined the patrol on the condition that I'd never have to partake in battle."

"Are you the only one?"

"No, there was also To..."

He paused for a moment.

"I really mustn't discuss it."

"Towa?"

"Myself and older members make an effort not to discuss Towa with newer members... but since you're clearly aware of her, yes, she also joined as a non-combatant. We had that in common."

"Know her well?"

Beetro reflected on the past, and his earliest years in the Time Patrol.

"She was very dedicated to her craft. Always strove make everything here better. When we first met, she had already helped to upgrade the patrol's medical tech, which certainly helped me in my endeavors."

"Did she keep to herself?"

"No, not necessarily. Like you, she had been going through a tragedy from her home. We could tell Towa was trying to make the best of what she had here, up until...

"Until what?"

"An accident at the academy, which injured more than a dozen recruits and nearly killed... Hale."

Unknown to Pan and Beetro, Hakusa walked by the room, then stopped upon hearing that last statement.

"The Commander?"

"I mean, he wasn't a commander back then. Hale was a recruit at that time. But his wound from what transpired was the gravest of the bunch. "

"Just what happened?"

"I never saw it occur first-hand: only the results of it."

The door opened and Hakusa had their attention.

"I'll tell you what happened: Towa had just developed a new training bot, one designed to push us to our limits to aid in battles."

"The Saiyans that heckled Hale happened there, correct?"

After Beetro's comment, Hakusa paused, then continued.

"Right. It was them that went first. The bot seemed weak at first, but once they got cocky, they were taken down with ease. Hale tried next."

"But wait..." Pan inquired. "I thought you said you weren't there, Beetro."

"I wasn't. That was what Hale told me."

As Hakusa continued right after, Pan felt a change in the Saiyan's voice.

"Even after their loss, they still underestimated him. The bot powered up and it looked like Hale was done for, but he pushed himself forward, matching it and taking it down."

As much as Pan found something of a happy ending for Hale from that, she had to know...

"But if Hale won, then where was the accident?"

Hakusa crossed her arms, taking in a deep breath.

"Towa called it a wrap and tried shutting it down, but there was a malfunction. It attacked everyone around it and kept increasing its power. It knocked Trunks away and it would've killed..."

Hakusa was trying hard to not let emotion slip through.

"It would've killed those Saiyans were it not for Hale. He got in its way, taking a beam through his torso. It was after that when Trunks came back with his sword and cut it in two."

Trying to wrap it up, Hakusa turned to Beetro.

"Then Trunks flew Hale to you, right Beetro?"

"Indeed. I had to treat him for several days, both due to the extent of his wound and how much of our resources went to the other injured as well..."

Hakusa knew Beetro wasn't finished recollecting what she didn't want to hear.

"And if I recall, your leg had to be treated."

She couldn't hide it anymore and bit the bullet.

"Hale saved my life that day... even after how me and the other Saiyans treated him."

"It's in the past, Hakusa. You and they grew into what you are now."

All the times she had been in Hakusa's presence, Pan never saw anything remotely close to Hakusa acting condescending towards anyone. Even when Hakusa lightly pointed out Pan's then-lower power level with Trunks, it was done out of concern rather than arrogance.

As much as part of her tried to imagine Hakusa and other Saiyans acting snobby towards someone like Hale, her focused turned towards...

"Beetro... how soon can I get back into action?"

"Not too long."

She saw Hakusa about to leave, but the Saiyan turned back to her.

"Just be sure not to rush it Pan, okay?"

* * *

"Towa..."

Deep within her lair, Towa turned toward her inquiring creation.

"If our goal is to fight back against the Time Patrol's interference... why did you make me spare that patroller?"

"That is a fair question, Mira. This girl serves them, yes... but she isn't an unquestioning pawn. There is more to her."

"What would you propose we do when we encounter her again?"

As she considered an answer to his second question, Towa began tinkering with her formula. An idea sparked...

"We will see what happens and go from there."

* * *

Pan spent the following weeks in Toki Toki City working alongside Umiu under Amura's instruction to perfect their use of the Kaio-Ken. Neither had to return to Beetro's care since their first attempt, but both still found the technique difficult to hold.

"Now I want you both to spar using Kaio-Ken. Not times 4. Not times 3. Just basic Kaio-Ken."

Umiu walked back, then turned with his stance as Pan followed suit in the opposite direction.

"Ready?"

Both let their ki flow through them to better ensure control of it.

"GO!"

"KAIO-K...!"

"Excuse me."

Pan and Umiu were interrupted by Commander Hale stepping in between them.

"I regret that I am cutting your session short, but I'm afraid..."

"You need Pan for a mission?" Amura asked bluntly. "...not that I would know anything about her missions. I mean I know they're pretty important, but none of the specifics..."

"It's quite alright. And yes, you are correct."

* * *

They made their way through the Time Nest towards the library.

"Don't get discouraged," Hale began. "It took Goku months just to get Kaio-Ken to work."

Even as Pan remembered just how well Goku used Kaio-Ken in his battle with Nappa, she also remembered the tremendous strain it put on him against Vegeta.

"Don't forget, you advanced to the 30's without it."

"Commander Hale, if you don't mind me asking..."

"Please... what's on your mind?"

"That day... the accident..."

The topic didn't thrill him, but Hale remained ready to answer.

"How did you get through that?"

"My earliest days in the Time Patrol were hard for me. I was one of the first of Frieza's race to join and not all of my fellow patrollers were thrilled at the prospect."

"And Saiyans?"

"When I saved them from the training bot, things improved... but healing from that wound was a trial."

"That's when you met Beetro, right?"

This caused Hale to pause right at the steps and turn away from her for just a moment. Pan began to regret prying into his affairs.

 _"What am I doing? I'm treating Hale like an open book."_

"I'm sorry, Commander. I didn't mean to pry."

He turned back to her.

"The truth is I don't believe I would have survived without him."

The library's doors opened quickly, Trunks' gloved hands visible to them.

"Pan, get in here now!"

* * *

Both ran through the library at a fast pace, Trunks' hand gripping Pan's wrist tightly to keep her from falling back.

"What's the situation?"

He didn't answer.

"Trunks?"

They remained silent after until they made it to the round room. Trunks finally let go of her, then zoomed toward the scroll.

"Trunks, would you please tell me what's going on?"

He stretched out the scroll and placed it into her hands. From what she could see...

* * *

 **Age 762**

Bulma and Krillin, both on an alien planet, watched something unfold in shock and terror.

Vegeta lied on the ground in front of them heavily bruised, one of his shoulder guards broken off. He was slow to get up, grasping his chest in pain and spitting out blood as two men approached him:

One tall, green-haired and green-skinned with an aura of elegance, and the other bulkier with pink skin, spikes across his head and wrists, and much less refined in manner.


	22. Zarbon and Dodoria! Vegeta in Peril!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan watched the rest of the scenario play out: Vegeta fighting in vain against the two figures, eventually being knocked unconscious, and being picked up and flown away. She realized what made Trunks so tense before showing her the scroll: his father's life was being threatened by Towa.

After she asked where Vegeta, Krillin, and Bulma were, Trunks took a breath, then explained after Piccolo's death, the Dragon Balls were turned to stone, and that Krillin, Bulma, and Gohan went to Namek to use the Dragon Balls of that planet to revive Piccolo, in turn reviving the Earth's Dragon Balls. He then revealed that not only Vegeta, but also Frieza and his forces sought out the Namekian Dragon Balls as well.

When Pan asked why Vegeta was against Frieza this time around, Trunks told her Vegeta was defecting and found an common ally in the Z-Fighters there in order to stop him from gaining immortality with the Dragon Balls. Pan saw this as a point of redemption for Vegeta, even after what he did when he first arrived to Earth.

Now that she knew the context of their being on Namek, Pan asked what was going on in that instance on the scroll. Trunks explained that Dodoria wasn't supposed to be there, both him and Zarbon were far more powerful than they should've been, and instead of just killing Vegeta, they were going to deliver him to Frieza. Their one advantage was they both had more time before any negative effects could creep in due to Vegeta not being killed from that battle, but even then, time would run out soon.

Handing Pan the scroll, he told her to be careful and to protect Vegeta, both for his own sake and Bulla's. Pan clenched the scroll and closed her eyes, disappearing from Trunks' sight.

On Planet Namek, Pan arrived nearby Krillin and Bulma's location, the former holding a Namekian Dragon Ball in his hands. As Bulma explained that Gohan was off tracking another Dragon Ball, Vegeta flew in and landed nearby, demanding they hand over their Dragon Ball. Her thoughts on Vegeta soured when he threatened both of them, especially his future wife Bulma. Just as the situation looked like it would lead to Krillin having to battle Vegeta, everyone's attention turned to Zarbon landing from across Vegeta.

Bulma wondered if Zarbon was there to save them, to which Krillin told her he was one of Frieza's men. Zarbon intended for Vegeta to reveal where he hid Namekian Dragon Balls, but also hoped he'd have to beat Vegeta within an inch of his life for an answer. Vegeta scoffed, informing Zarbon that Saiyans grow in power immensely from near-death, and that it was a mistake for Zarbon to have had him healed. As Vegeta taunted Zarbon to transform, a flash of light emerged next to Zarbon, then began to reveal someone to Vegeta's shock: Dodoria.

At first, Dodoria appeared confused as if he didn't know where he was or how he got there, but once a purple aura flowed through him, he recomposed himself. He turned to Krillin, remembering him and Gohan ambushing him and Krillin blinding him while fleeing. Krillin warned him that he was more than strong enough to defeat him this time, but Dodoria reassured the Earthling that he would let him live for now, as his main focus was getting revenge on Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince tried to hide his shock at Dodoria's survival, telling him that he still stood no chance against him. With a grin, Dodoria charged his newfound ki, unleashing a gust that gave even Vegeta pause. As Zarbon began to question just where Dodoria had been, Dodoria asked him "What do you say to us working together to bring down this Saiyan?" Just then, the same aura enveloped Zarbon, who then answered "For once, we are in agreement. And gladly."

As much as Krillin despised Vegeta, having seen even the proud Saiyan begin to lose his composure made part of him consider joining forces with Vegeta against a greater threat. Seeing Krillin take a step forward. Pan flew in front of him, signalling him and Bulma to get to cover, then stepped to Vegeta's side, keeping an eye on the two newly-empowered elites of Frieza. Vegeta warned her that this did not excuse her transgressions against him on Earth, and they would settle their score after they survived this battle.

* * *

Zarbon flew at Vegeta first, going for a kick to his neck. The Saiyan Prince stopped it with one hand, still standing, but being forced downward as he saw Dodoria running in for a ducking uppercut. Zarbon grinned, keeping Vegeta unable to stand or evade the incoming attack.

Dodoria found his uppercut intercepted by Pan blocking it, but the sheer force caused a whirlwind around the area. Vegeta and Pan were sent rolling, and the Saiyan Prince was immediately intercepted by Zarbon, who took him into the air. Pan saw Dodoria ready to take off and flew in his way.

"Getting in my way, are we, girl?"

Pan fired off several ki bullets, which Dodoria knocked away with his spiked wrists, then moved them quickly to block Pan's impending punches. None of the blows successfully harmed Dodoria, but each sent him grinding backward. Even still, he kept his balance, never wavering.

 _"Dodoria was on Vegeta's level..."_ inquired Pan. _"...Right?"_

 _"Right..."_ began Trunks. _"...but after his defeat on Earth, my father's power increased dramatically, allowing him to easily overpower him."_

 _"...so you're saying Vegeta should mop the floor with both of them."_

 _"At this point in time, yes, but now Towa's made them more than a match for him."_

* * *

Vegeta broke off his clash with Zarbon, both floating in midair. Zarbon saw Vegeta sweating while his light green skin was without any bruises, let alone blemishes.

"How?!" shouted Vegeta, who lost his composure as Zarbon began to cackle. "You couldn't best me without your transformation, and now I'm stronger than I was before!"

"Who knows, Vegeta..." began Zarbon. "Perhaps Saiyans aren't the only one whose power increase from battle after all."

* * *

Pan glanced away for just a moment to see what was happening on Vegeta's end, witnessing the dread on the Saiyan Prince's face.

"Aha!"

After Dodoria's comment, he disappeared from Pan's sight.

 _"I've got to focus!"_

Pan tried to sense him, putting up her ki shield in advance, but just as she heard him again, he struck with his hand, managing to hit before her shield covered her completely. His five fingers' nails dug into her back, Pan wincing from the sharp pain, as Dodoria struck at the shield with his other hand. Instead of breaking it, the shield held, but Pan was knocked to the ground, Dodoria's other hand still on her.

"A force field, huh?"

He tossed her towards a wall of rock, finally letting her loose, but leaving an extended scratch upon release. Due to her shield, she bounced off the structure upon impact, but found herself on her back, one hand on her wound.

 _"He's far faster than he looks. I can't lose Dodoria again or he'll really gut me."_

She noticed Dodoria planting his feet firmly into the ground and putting his arms back. Pan then caught a faint glow from between his lips.

 _"Quick!"_ shouted Trunks. _"He's firing a...!"_

She put both her hands out, glowing fast, as she quickly shouted...

"Kamehameha!"

Pan fired a quick Kamehameha burst at Dodoria's head before he could fire his mouth beam, sending him onto his back.

 _"Not much power, but enough for now."_

She used her time to tear off a small piece from her cape, then wrapped it around her from underneath her jacket and over her shirt. The whole time, she watched as Dodoria slowly got to his feet, his face with a few marks from the attack. His joyous smile from before melted away into a near-snarl of annoyance.

"That... stung!"

He put one foot forward.

"Now I'll really crush you!"

His foot dug into the ground, leaving cracks as Dodoria flew at her head-first. She swiftly ducked as Dodoria tore through the entire rocky structure with a headbutt. Even as it crumbled on top of him, Dodoria simply stood, dusting off the top of his head.

 _"Talk about hard-headed..."_

 _"I think you mean thick-headed,"_ Trunks replied.

 _"Now's not the time for that,"_ Chronoa reminded them both.

Meanwhile, Pan saw Vegeta's arm forced against his back by Zarbon, who then proceeded to knee the Saiyan Prince in the back.

 _"Shoot! Vegeta needs my help!"_

She zoomed upward, but then found a barrage of ki projectiles in her path courtesy of Dodoria. As Pan had to place her focus in maneuvering around the barrage, Dodoria made his way up to Vegeta, where the two comrades attacked the Saiyan Prince at once. Vegeta tried to block one attacker with each arm, but was soon met a punch to the face from both Dodoria and Zarbon simultaneously, an impact that slammed him into the ground.

Pan, the barrage behind her, saw Vegeta's impact, as well as Zarbon and Dodoria side-by-side in the air, never more unified than in this moment. Zarbon put his hand out, the other hand steadying his aim as Dodoria performed the same motion.

 _"How is this...?"_ went Trunks in astonishment. _"Dodoria's performing one of Zarbon's techniques."_

Vegeta, still getting up, saw the dual Elegant Blasters ready to fire at him. Instead of trying to get out of the way, he put both his wrists out, believing he could deflect both of them.

 _"What is my father doing?! Against two of them and with their power-up, there's no way he can withstand them! That arrogant...!"_

The two attacks fired just after Trunks' comment, to which Pan flew in front of Vegeta, gesturing him so her back faced the beams. She put up her ki shield, but she was unsure if that alone could stop the combined attack.

"Kaio-KEN!"

The shield doubled in size upon the attacks' collision. A massive explosion, one large enough to engulf the body of land they stood upon, sent Pan and Vegeta in the shield flying back before the two rolled closer to Bulma's cave where she and Krillin watched in shock. Once she deactivated the ki shield and her Kaio-Ken, the Saiyan Prince shoved her off of him.

"Get off me! What is this, woman?! You attack me on Earth and here you nurse me!"

He made it onto his feet, then pointed up at Zarbon and Dodoria, who floated above in no hurry to continue.

"You had a clear shot! You should've attacked them! Did you think I needed your help?!"

Pan kept it together in appearance in front of him, but she kept trying to justify putting up with it to herself.

 _"He's just like this now! He'll change! He'll become a better person!"_

 _"Vegeta's difficult, I know,"_ went Trunks. _"At this point, he's still not much better than Zarbon and Dodoria, but Krillin and Gohan needed his help just to survive until Goku arrived. And even then, he was paramount against Frieza' forces."_

"Hey!" shouted Dodoria from above. "Are you two just going to lick your wounds or will you at least put up a fight?!"

"I'm going to shut him up," declared Vegeta.

Zarbon prepared to advance, but Dodoria put out his arm in front of him.

"Let me take the Saiyan Prince. I'll make him beg."

Instead of arguing against this, Zarbon grinned.

"Be sure that you do, Dodoria. I won't give you long."

Dodoria scoffed, then slowly hovered downward eyeing Vegeta, who turned back to Pan.

"Don't delude yourself, girl: you are on your own," warned Vegeta. "If you can't handle Zarbon, I'd sooner watch you Earthlings die than spill one drop of my royal blood than help you."

Pan simply nodded as she eyed Zarbon, who waited with crossed arms. Vegeta's ascent began slowly, but then sped up rapidly as Dodoria did the same with his descent. A midair collision caused a big shockwave, sending them both back and causing sides of the cave to shed small pebbles.

 _"Will he be a better match against Dodoria as he is now?"_ asked Pan.

 _"Maybe..."_ began Trunks. _"...but I fear my father will still underestimate Dodoria, much more-so than he did Zarbon. Should things get worse for him..."_

 _"You know I'll step in if it comes to that."_

 _"I know you will, but Zarbon will need your focus."_

Pan made her way up to Zarbon's level, who turned his head, his green ponytail following.

"You surviving against the likes of Dodoria is impressive. I'd offer you the opportunity to join Lord Frieza's forces, but judging by the look on your face, you've already rejected it."

As much as Pan wanted to tell Zarbon she would never join the likes of Frieza, she kept it to herself and readied herself for battle.

"Such a waste. Oh well."

As soon as they began trading blows, Pan could already tell that Zarbon fought much more precisely and elegantly.

* * *

Whereas Zarbon seemed to have the complete edge over him earlier, Vegeta found Dodoria a much more even battle. Granted, he had yet to overpower him as of yet.

"Surprised, Vegeta? You thought I wouldn't be a match for you. Well I'm not just a match..."

"About to call yourself a forest fire?" Vegeta taunted.

"Not this time! This time, I'm a...!"

"What, a flaming hurricane?"

This further infuriated Dodoria into lashing out, but even then, Vegeta's taunt didn't gain him much more than a few free shots.

 _"Damn it, Father! You should've learned the stakes from Zarbon!"_

* * *

Zarbon flew upward, firing an orange arrow-shaped down at Pan, who flew out of the way. She fired ki blasts in retaliation, but then heard a shout from Vegeta: Zarbon's attack nearly struck him from below, exposing him to a hit from Dodoria.

 _"Pan, focus!"_

She turned back to Zarbon, just barely avoiding a kick from him. He looked down at Vegeta, then back to her, seeing the concern she tried to conceal.

"Ah. Loyalty to Vegeta?"

Pan knew she couldn't answer, but even with the Vegeta she knew growing up, her best friend's father, a Saiyan unrelated to her by blood, but that Pan sometimes treated like an uncle being long gone, she wouldn't allow either Zarbon or Dodoria to do anything to this brutal younger Vegeta.

"I highly doubt it's love."

With a shout, Pan struck Zarbon's cheek, but found herself immediately met with a barrage of kicks with the last sending her downward. She caught herself in midair, then flew back up for another punch. Zarbon swerved backward, then struck Pan below the chest, forcing her backward.

 _"My rib..."_

"You have exceptional beauty, Earthling... but your power isn't enough against one of my caliber."

He covered the distance before Pan could fire off a ki blast, and took hold of her by her neck with one hand. Zarbon felt Pan gripping his wrist, but continued speaking with the same calm as before.

"You're stronger than that bald brute Vegeta ordered around, but not anywhere near myself, let alone the universe's last Saiyan."

He saw Pan's arms finally drop, believing her will to fight to be gone.

"It's a shame to snuff you out, but those who stand against Frieza must perish."

His other hand began to charge with ki as he was then startled to see Pan's hands against the side of her face.

"Solar Flare!"

Blinded, Zarbon let go of Pan, covering his eyes with both hands, and still keeping himself afloat, but trying to maintain his altitude.

"You! You insufferable little...!"

Pan knew this was her one chance to end things quickly.

"Kaio-KEN!"

A gut punch caused Zarbon to spit out dark green blood and forced him to release his eyes. His vision had not yet returned to him as he tried to follow what he could only perceive as a red blur zooming around him. Pan attacked all around him for as long as she felt she could before he could successfully hit back, but knew both that her window would soon expire and that her body couldn't hold Kaio-Ken forever.

A two-handed slam into the back of Zarbon's head sent him falling at a high speed. Pan followed him, booting his chest with both her legs to further accelerate his descent. She flew as fast as she ever had before, feeling her body tire, but knowing she had to land before Zarbon did.

 _"Come on, come on!"_

As she landed, her feet practically embedded in the ground, she put both her hands out and caught the high-speed Zarbon by his back. Pan didn't feel anything close to Zarbon being crippled like Goku had done to Nappa, but she could tell from his cries that it was not something he'd recover from soon.

Pan reverted back from Kaio-Kan, dropping Zarbon just from her body trying to recover. She remained on her feet, but had to crouch over just to catch her breath.

 _"So... leave Zarbon as is, right?"_

 _"The damage you've done to him was a bit much already, so..."_

As Chronoa tried to finish, Pan saw Dodoria kicking Vegeta multiple times in midair, then knocking him down.

 _"Hurry!"_ shouted Trunks. _"My father's...!"_

 _"In trouble. I know."_

Dodoria landed to the ground hard, causing Vegeta to stumble as he saw his adversary about to unleash Maximum Blaster.

"Go down alread...!"

Dodoria felt a crushing pain across his throat, causing the massive yellow beam to fire off from his hands into the sky instead of his intended target. Pan wrapped her legs around his sides, then pulled back with her family polearm with all her might. As Dodoria tried to grapple Pan, Vegeta took hold of both his arms and slammed both his feet into his stomach before tugging on them.

 _"That's it, Pan! Just keep Dodoria in place!"_

"You already told me everything I could want to save your skin before! You have nothing to bargain with now!"

Pan didn't care to see Vegeta's sadistic side and just wanted the battle to be done with.

"What are you waiting for, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan Prince was surprised to hear her refer to him by name for the first time, but still scoffed at her.

"If you want Dodoria dead that badly, then do it yourself!"

In the midst of Vegeta's berating, a sphere-shaped projectile struck Pan's back, causing her to lose her grip on Dodoria and the Power Pole, her weapon dropping to his feet. Vegeta turned, seeing Zarbon, even after the beatdown he took earlier, having had enough power to fire off this attack.

 _"Damned brat should've finished him off first!"_

He turned back to Dodoria, hiding his gasping for air with a look of intended wrath.

"Bastard!"

Just as Dodoria began to lift Vegeta off his feet, the Saiyan Prince quickly let go of one of his hands and fired off a blast at Zarbon, knocking him back. Just as he prepared another for the top of Dodoria's head, he felt his leg being tugged and was slung helplessly downward.

Pan, trying to reach for the Power Pole, saw it rolling away from her down towards the water, then lost sight of it: Dodoria grabbed her by the head, obscuring her vision with his palm. With a roar, he slammed Pan into Vegeta's chest, taking chips out of his armor and causing him to spit out blood. Before Dodoria could perform another attack on Vegeta with Pan's body, she fired at his face, forcing him to let her go. Just as she landed, Dodoria struck with a titanic punch. Pan guarded against it, but she was still floored by its force, leaving her exposed to a kick.

"Stay out of this, Earthling!"

He sent her rolling towards the cave's entrance, where she saw Krillin and Bulma watching her approach, as well as the figure that approached Vegeta.

"I'll be with you space trash in a minute."

Vegeta, who finally made it to his feet, lost sight of Dodoria as he finished his sentence.

"But first..."

Dodoria was behind Vegeta, grabbing him by his arms. For Vegeta, a nightmarish reminder of what he had done to Dodoria. For Dodoria, a reversal he was in control of this time.

"Prince Vegeta, was it?"

A tug caused Vegeta to spit out, followed by a shout of pain.

"Enjoying yourself, prince? It's fun on the other side, isn't it? ISN'T IT?!"

Pan watched as Dodoria continually pulled Vegeta by both his arms to the sound of the Saiyan's cries, fully intending to rip him in two.

"I'll take your arms, Vegeta! Let's see you get stronger from that! From bleeding to death!"

"Wait!" shouted Zarbon, who even admist the power-up looked deathly terrified at what Dodoria was doing. "Lord Frieza wants Vegeta alive! For the Dragon Balls he stole from us! It was an order!"

"Aww shove it!" Dodoria retorted. "Make an excuse! He'll summon the Ginyu Force to finish up here anyway! The prince is mine!"

Before, Dodoria was content with beating Vegeta down and returning him to Frieza, but after Vegeta had him at his mercy for the third time, he wanted nothing more than to make Vegeta feel the same agony he had felt each of those times.

Pan, seeing Dodoria's back turned, floated quietly to him. She grabbed his shoulder with one hand as the other delivered a chop to the back of his neck...

...which was followed by Dodoria striking her with the back of his head.

"You thought that measly chop would knock me out!? Now leave me to my fun!"

She swerved her body back upward, then tried wrapping both arms around his neck, but even as she tried to tighten her grip, it was to no effect.

"Ha! Go ahead! Try and choke me to death! Without your precious pole, your arms might as well be hugging me."

Every time Pan was in combat with someone, she had always been told not to go too far, whether it be ringing out Piccolo, knocking Raditz into the path of the first Special Beam Cannon, or nearly flying Vegeta and herself into orbit. Here, she was faced with all efforts to down Dodoria turning up short.

 _"I don't know if I can get him unconscious! What would you have me do?"_

She knew Dodoria was supposed to have been killed earlier and that his presence here alone invited alterations to history. Pan waited to hear what to do in this situation, but she heard nothing from either of them.

 _"Trunks! Chronoa! What do I do here?!"_

Pan knew they were both as stumped as she was.

 _"He'll kill Vegeta! Your father, Trunks!"_

* * *

As Pan clearly became more panicked and after hearing what would befall Vegeta, Trunks and Chronoa both desperately attempted to come up with what to do.

"My father killed him... but Towa pulled Dodoria out before he was killed. So if he's here now, surely..."

"Vegeta is supposed to kill him. That is how history is supposed to be. Anything else would be..."

* * *

This deliberation between the two did nothing to help Pan, who kept waiting for confirmation. She could see Dodoria beginning to grow impatient with his attempts to tear Vegeta in two.

"This is taking too long. I'll just end this right now."

Pan immediately recognized that same glow from Dodoria's mouth.

"Nighty night, sweet prince!"

 _"I won't let Vegeta die."_

She didn't know what would happen as a result of this, but Pan saw no other choice.

"Kaio-KEN!"

Dodoria felt a huge aura around Pan, and her grip on the top of his head and chin were far tighter than before, almost digging into his skin. As he hurriedly tried to fire his mouth beam at Vegeta, Pan swerved his head sideways...

 ***CRACK!***

...breaking his neck and causing the beam to avoid hitting Vegeta. Said beam struck a tall landscape, practically vaporizing it upon impact.

 _"Pan... what have you done?!"_

Pan heard the shock in Chronoa's voice as she let go of Dodoria, who fell to the ground on his side, his dead eyes and shocked face frozen in place.

 _"You've... killed Dodoria."_


	23. Consequences! Zarbon Remains!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

As Vegeta eyed Zarbon, Pan continued to look back at Dodoria, whom Vegeta was meant to kill and whom she had just slain herself. She didn't know what the consequences would be or if her entire mission was for naught because of it.

 _"Did I change history?"_ Pan pondered . _"Is what I've done...?"_

 _"Pan, you should've waited for us to..."_ began Chronoa.

 _"Dodoria was about to kill my father!"_ interrupted Trunks. _"If she had waited any longer, history would've changed. Now look, none of us expected Towa to be capable of this. We were both caught off-guard and we didn't know what you should do, Pan, so you made a call. As far as I can tell..."_

* * *

Trunks looked at the scrolls nearby, looking for any evidence of alteration caused by Pan's actions, but found no purple glow emanating from any of them.

"You see, Chronoa? Pan didn't change history by killing Dodoria: she secured it."

"But that's the problem, Trunks: we don't know exactly how she secured it."

"Perhaps after Pan killed him, Dodoria returned to the afterlife from the point he was taken by Towa. So with that, no harm done."

Chronoa pondered, but seeing the lack of distortions that Trunks noted...

"That would appear to be the case, Trunks..."

* * *

Having heard Trunks making the argument she had done no harm, Pan was starting to relax, raising her head.

 _"But from now on..."_

Chronoa's tone was lightly stern.

 _"...this will never again be done lightly. We got lucky here, but in any other case, you might have done something irrevocable. Do you understand?"_

 _"Yes..."_ began Pan, realizing she was not in the clear from what she had done after all. _"I understand, Chronoa."_

"Hey!"

She turned, seeing Vegeta looking back at her impatiently.

"Are you done moping?! What, you didn't have the stomach to kill before?!"

The two heard Zarbon grunting, then saw their adversary finally making his way back to his feet, wiping dark green blood from below his lip with his hand. As Pan took a step forward, Vegeta shoved her to the side.

"Now get out of my way while I finish Zarbon off like you should have earlier!"

She didn't appreciate Vegeta's gesture, but kept an eye on him and Zarbon.

 _"I'd say step back for now,"_ advised Trunks. _"As Zarbon is now, I believe my father should be able to finish things as per history."_

Pan began to walk around the cave, nearly out of sight, as she watched Vegeta flying straight towards Zarbon at high speed, ready to collide with him with both fists...

...but both caught a glimpse of Zarbon's smile as he glowed purple, followed by his muscle mass increasing nearly instantaneously.

With a single fist, this hulking Zarbon slammed Vegeta into the ground, leaving him bouncing before he caught himself in midair.

 _"...but how?! I wore him out!"_

 _"It looks like Towa restored Zarbon's energy."_

Zarbon, now monstrous and his skin scaled in appearance, pointed to Vegeta as he spoke:

"Is your memory that short? Oh wait... earlier, you told me to transform from the start. I didn't even need it against your so-called 'increased power'. Now you'll wish for death before I bring you to Lord Frieza."

"Ha!" scoffed Vegeta. "I've fought that form before, so now I know how to beat it."

"Oh please. You'd need to be a Great Ape to overpower me. Now that you've lost your tail, all that's left is your arrogance."

* * *

"While we can only hope Dodoria gave them some fatigue..." Mira began. "Are you certain that Zarbon has the sufficient strength to defeat them both now?"

Towa, watching the action alongside her creation, grinned.

"We shall see."

* * *

Vegeta charged ki in his hands, then shouted as he unleashed a purple beam at the idle Zarbon. Pan flew forward the moment the beam left Vegeta's fingers, taking aim at the monstrous figure's armor. In response to the Saiyan's attack, Zarbon simply swatted at it with his right palm...

...sending it into a nearby island. Just then, Zarbon swung his arm at Pan, who was forced to call off her intended punch and descended, rolling as his fist struck her former position. Vegeta covered the distance and both his hands came down towards the back of Zarbon's head, but were instead met by a swinging wrist. It didn't just block the attack: Vegeta was forced downward.

Seeing Zarbon ready to step on Vegeta, Pan punched at his exposed back repeatedly. She found Zarbon was aware of the hits, but suffered little harm from them. He turned quickly, his leg outstretched.

"That tickled!" Zarbon taunted as the kick landed.

Pan blocked it with her wrist, but was soon floored several feet away onto her stomach by its sheer might. Zarbon charged at her, nonchalantly firing a blast behind him at Vegeta who was about to fire his own. Pan was unsure her ki shield could withstand the incoming punt Zarbon intended for her head, and she was aware her efforts a moment ago were fruitless. She put a hand in front of her face and shouted as fast as she could:

"Kaio-KEN!"

The kick was caught, Pan not even being pushed back before she tossed it aside. She rose, using her arms to keep Zarbon's down before going for a headbutt. She found it matched by Zarbon's own, then they both stepped back. In their next clash, Pan struck first, delivering a jab to his cheek, which was visibly a discomfort to Zarbon, but only left a small bruise. From there, Pan found herself able to keep Zarbon at bay, but unable to overpower him.

"That technique caught me off-guard before..."

He caught both of Pan's hands in his palms, keeping her in place.

"But now..."

He lifted his foot...

"I match it!"

Pan cried out as that foot stomped on her own. Zarbon let go of her, then punched with both hands simultaneously. Right as Zarbon watched Pan tumbling back, he felt a bolt strike his back. Vegeta saw a hole in Zarbon's cape from his projectile, as well as light bruising on his armor, but found Zarbon moving at him faster than he anticipated.

As Vegeta leapt upward with Zarbon in hot pursuit, Pan recovered, having deactivated her Kaio-Ken. Before, it overwhelmed Zarbon after she blinded him, but now...

 _"He's right. My Kaio-Ken isn't enough anymore."_

Seeing Vegeta slammed downward, Pan knew she had to hurry.

 _"I don't know if I can withstand it, but I have no choice."_

 _"Pan, wait...!"_ warned Chronoa.

She channeled her ki around her...

"Kaio-Ken...!"

 _"You can't...!"_

"Times THREE!"

Both Vegeta and Zarbon felt the increase in Pan's ki and saw a large gust of dust around her.

"This is..." Zarbon started before witnessing Pan colliding with him, her body covered with an even greater aura of red over her than before.

As he was being forced backward, Zarbon gestured his hands to aim for Pan's face, but by the time ki fired from them, she left his sight and he was only being pushed back by their momentum prior. He turned around looking for his opponent, then saw the red burst approaching him once more. Zarbon went for a double axe handle, crashing his hands into the ground, but once he realized the lack of Pan lying in the impact point, he found her fist colliding with his face.

Zarbon flew backward standing up, a small purple cut between his eyes and mouth, and his feet dragging across the grass leaving parallel trails of dirt. Seeing a structure behind him, Zarbon put his hand to his back to stop himself from crashing through it. He succeeded, already dreading looking forward.

The moment he so much as saw red, he jabbed with his right. Pan swerved to the side, the fist just missing her head, then delivered an upward hook into his left side. He was lifted off his feet, time seeming to slow as he rotated, then witnessed Pan hopping upward for a spinning kick. After it connected with his chest, he was sent rocketing across on his back.

* * *

"She's doing it! She damaging Zarbon and he can't even touch her!"

Trunks seemed excited at Pan's performance.

"Her training with Amura is already paying..."

He paused for a moment when he looked back at Chronoa, who was far more concerned over what they were watching.

"...off."

* * *

Coming to a halt, Zarbon started to lift himself upward, trying to dust his massive arms of dirt and pebbles.

 _"What is this?! That girl could barely harm my true form earlier... but now... not only can she... she's faster than me. She's almost as fast as Bur..."_

The dreaded aura zoomed back and he was determined to finally land a hit on Pan. He went for an uppercut, but found it blocked, then followed by a punch to his stomach area, one that send him skating back...

...only to be met by another punch from the opposite hand with the same result. Now Pan was unleashing a barrage of punches, revealing cracks in that region of his armor as they traveled.

 _"It's working! It's...!"_

Just then, a brief pause in between: Pan's muscles began to ache.

Having endured the beating thus far, Zarbon jumped at the momentary pause, grabbing hold of both her arms. Using their shared momentum, he fell onto his back, lifting Pan and slamming her into the ground on hers. She bounced further away as Zarbon stopped himself, then prepared Elegance Blaster.

"Now then..."

Ki gathered in his palm as his other hand kept his hand steady to aim as Pan finally stopped moving...

...but just as the blast left, Vegeta snuck underneath Zarbon, punching at his armor in the same damaged spot Pan left at the stomach. Pan saw the blast coming her way, then going over her head, just missing her. Vegeta looked upward at Zarbon, seeing not a face filled with pain and anguish, but rather annoyance.

"How could I forget about you, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan Prince quickly stepped back and readied a blast, but a swift backhand knocked him away towards Pan's path. Seeing that Zarbon took a moment to revel at his two feats, Vegeta crawled, then rose over Pan, who lied on her back with her muscles partially bulkier from Kaio-Ken.

 _"This... this is what Kaio-Ken times three did to Grandpa Goku. My whole body..."_

"What is this?" questioned Vegeta. "You can't be finished already. Not after what you did to Zarbon."

He lifted one foot...

"Get up."

He kicked her side, getting Pan's attention, as well as causing her to reel from it.

"You take one hard hit and now you need your beauty sleep, is that it Earthling?"

He crouched down, gripping Pan by her left arm. Already, this was painful to her in her current state.

"I said..."

As he yanked her up, his grip tighter...

"GET UP!"

Pan couldn't stop from shouting in pain. Vegeta released her left arm, seeing her crouched over with her right hand over it.

"Oh come off it! I barely even touched you!"

Seeing Zarbon walk slowly towards him, Vegeta turned back to Pan and scoffed at her condition.

"Oh fine! Wallow for all I care! I don't need anyone's help... let alone a woman's."

The Saiyan soldiered forward as Pan slowly made her way back to her feet, each small movement a trial.

 _"I can't keep up Kaio-Kan like this... but nothing else I've done has hurt this form of Zarbon otherwise."_

As she saw Vegeta and Zarbon trading blows, she pondered what to do.

 _"My mistake was using Times Three for as long as I did. It needs to be in shorter bursts... but even then, what can I do otherwise?"_

She thought back to her time with Tien in the Training Chamber over the course of six months, and that one of his most important lessons was to win through tactics, not just strength alone.

 _"If I can't hurt Zarbon as is..."_

Pan had an idea.

 _"I can set him up."_

Vegeta and Zarbon traded blows as Pan was out of action. Slowly, the Saiyan Prince began to get overpowered and lost his footing, allowing Zarbon to strike him upward, then chopped him back down.

As he was about to take hold of Vegeta by the collar...

Several projectiles struck Zarbon's back, none of them terribly harmful, but all of them noticable.

"Hey, Frog-Face!"

He turned, seeing Pan back on her feet, then proceeded to stomp on Vegeta, embedding him into the ground further.

"Wait right here. I'll take care of this real quick."

Zarbon charged at Pan shoulder-first, seeing her hardly move an inch save for her cape flapping with the wind. He didn't feel anything when colliding with her, then plowed straight through rock. As he came to a stop, noticing the lack of her...

 _"Without that red glow, that girl was nowhere near this fast. She couldn't have acted out this whole time to trick me."_

His back was struck by a larger projectile, this one more than a mild irritance compared to the others.

"Nice try!"

Zarbon leapt in the direction of Pan's taunting voice, bringing his fist down on her shocked face...

Only to have apparently missed once again and met by another hit to his back from afar.

"Can't you go any faster?"

A snarling lunge towards an idle Pan.

"Brat!"

* * *

"Of course!" said Trunks aloud.

"Of course what?" inquired Chronoa.

"Pan knows she can't do much in the way of serious damage to Zarbon in her current state, and she recalls first-hand what happened with Goku against my father's Great Ape form. She's keeping Zarbon occupied and outwitting him until my father can get back to the fight. Then they can do some real damage collectively."

* * *

Vegeta took notice of Pan's ploy as he recovered.

 _"A moment ago, this one couldn't drag herself up without me doing it for her, and now she's leading Zarbon on a chase, making him look like a lap dog."_

He rose onto his feet, clenching his gloved fist.

 _"But I will be the one to finish him off."_

* * *

"C'mere, Slowpoke!"

Instead of approaching her this time, Zarbon fired a beam. Seeing zero semblance of any sign of Pan in the ensuing wreckage only to see her untouched from the corner of his eye, he fired once again.

"Ah, I see now..."

As Zarbon said this with a sense of renewed confidence, Pan made her way across from behind several structures, keeping as quiet as possible.

"You were never in any of those places I hit... or rather, you were, then left some kind of hologram behind... an afterimage."

Vegeta, behind a different structure, eyed Zarbon while also looking around for Pan, seeing no sign of her.

"You meant to tire me out, and all this time, you've been working your way close to me so that when I least expected it, you would strike..."

The Saiyan Prince caught a glimpse of a shadow...

"From BEHIND!"

Zarbon turned with a kick aimed right at Pan's jaw...

But when it struck, his leg phased through her, the area it passed fuzzy for a brief moment. Then what began as a tug on his cape transitioned into Zarbon being lifted off his feet over Pan's head. As she was about to swing him back down into the ground, Vegeta crashed into Zarbon's torso with both feet. Immediately after, he flew upward, charging ki...

"Move or be blown apart!" Vegeta shouted quickly.

Pan heeded this as Vegeta looked down from high above, firing a barrage of rapid, but destructive blasts at Zarbon. Bulma and Krillin peered out of their cave to see what was happening, then felt the ground beneath them shaking, as well as part of the landmass cracking. The area Vegeta was blasting began to sink, water rising from it.

"You and your pieces can rest at the bottom of the ocean!" cackled Vegeta...

Until he caught a glimpse of Zarbon flying upward, his armor chipping, cape torn, and lip bleeding. He raged onward unhindered even as the blasts rained down around him and Vegeta frantically adjusted his aim. With a thundering knee, Vegeta was exposed, enabling Zarbon to grab him by both arms and descend rapidly. Unable to aim his hands, Vegeta could only watch as his screaming reflection in the water below came closer and closer.

Pan saw she couldn't intercept in time at her current speed, so she quickly fired off Kaio-Ken. Zarbon caught the red aura, but proceeded, figuring if she tried an attack, he could have Vegeta take the hit for him. Instead, she grabbed hold of Vegeta, then pulled with no effect initially.

"Kaio-Ken Times Three!"

Almost blinded by it, Zarbon felt Vegeta slip through his fingers. Once he could see clearly, he saw Pan flying with Vegeta in her arms, even as he protested her carrying him.

"Let go already!"

Zarbon then noticed Pan's aura in flux and created an orb in his hand. Pan deactivated Kaio-Ken, then began to drop.

"Learn to fly, will you?!"

As Pan began to float upward again, she and Vegeta caught Zarbon's attack too late. The sphere struck Vegeta dead-on, knocking him out of Pan's hands and sending him crashing towards the shore by the cave.

Zarbon landed in front of Bulma and Krillin, who began to stumble out of the cave and saw the condition of his armor and ragged cape. He tore it off from his shoulder pads, then tossed it aside, not intending for it to be grappled a second time.

Vegeta could barely get to his knees, coughing up blood while Zarbon simply wiped his lip and grinned.

"I told you to wait, Prince Vegeta. But no matter: you have my full attention now."

Even in the state he was in, knowing Zarbon was in far better condition than he was, Vegeta rose onto his feet. Whether it was his Saiyan pride driving him to do this or the true spirit of a warrior refusing to give up in the face of his demise, Vegeta began to raise his fists as Zarbon walked forward.

"I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I will not cower before a..."

He paused once he saw Pan standing in front of him, taking a defensive stance before Zarbon.

 _"What in the hell is this?! We fought on Earth... she and that damned swordsman cost me my tail... and yet she's... protecting me? I don't get it!"_

Zarbon saw the confusion on Vegeta's face regarding Pan standing between the two of them and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Even now, you stand between me and Vegeta. Perhaps it is love, after all..."

Pan couldn't even begin to register what Zarbon had suggested.

 _"I know I can't say anything, but... he cannot be serious! That's just... ugh!"_

Vegeta, on the other hand, scoffed at it.

"As if. She'll pay for what she did to me on Earth."

This resulted in another snicker from Zarbon, who then addressed Pan directly.

"Your efforts go entirely unrewarded. Not even a hint of gratefulness from him."

She could tell what Zarbon was trying to do.

"Go on, then. There's no need to waste your charity on Vegeta, where it is unappreciated."

He signaled for her to move aside and even Vegeta seemed ready to step around her.

 _"He's trying to get in Vegeta's head: make your father fight him alone while he's vulnerable."_

Her back blocked Vegeta's path once again. Zarbon was perplexed at Pan still remaining between them.

"You bleeding-hearted Earthling..."

Zarbon noted Vegeta's reaction.

"I am just as puzzled as you are. But no matter."

He took a step forward.

"Just sit tight while I walk through her."

Pan put her hands together, then took on a stance Vegeta knew all too well from Earth.

"Ka... me..."

Zarbon tauntingly approached slowly, one foot at a time.

"Oh please. Do you really expect that to stop me in the shape you're in?"

She continued.

"Ha... me..."

Another step.

"Just try it!"

"Haaaaa!"

The Kamehameha fast approached Zarbon, who didn't move a single leg. Instead, he put out his left hand, stopping the blast not unlike the way Raditz had against Goku.

"This didn't even stop Dodoria. What makes you think..."

"Kaio-Ken!"

The beam doubled in size, pushing the standing Zarbon back a few steps. It took more effort for him to block it, but he still laughed aloud. She knew what it did to her body earlier and what it might do to that and her ki with such a technique.

 _"Here goes..."_

"Kaio-Ken Times Three!"

The moment this super-powered Kamehameha left her hands, even more massive, Zarbon was forced to guard against it with his entire arm. Once it made contact, he felt an intense burn and for a brief moment appeared terrified at the possibility of the Kamehameha reducing him to nothing.

* * *

"It appears Zarbon's reached his match. The formula can't save him now."

"Don't be so sure, Mira. With just a little tinkering..."

* * *

Pan caught a glimmer of purple emanating across Zarbon.

 _"Oh, don't tell me..."_

His arm, which had begun to burn, now radiated with the formula and appeared to be withstanding even her Kaio-Ken Times Three Kamehameha.

 _"No, no, NO! This is bad!"_

Now Zarbon began running through it.

 _"Damn it, I'm...!"_

The Kaio-Ken fluctuated and her Kamehameha became more narrow. With that, Zarbon span to the side, breaking off from the waning blast, then continued towards his intended targets.

"No afterimage will save you now!"

Having used up so much ki and her body further thrashed by the triple Kaio-Ken, Pan knew she couldn't evade Zarbon now. Vegeta quickly fired a beam at Zarbon just as the beast's left hand grabbed Pan by the back of her head. He didn't strike between his eyes as intended, but managed to leave a scar on Zarbon's cheek.

The Saiyan Prince was grabbed as well and with both him and Pan in tow, Zarbon leapt high, the water below them. Bulma and Krillin watched as the three thunderously descended out of their sight, a massive splash almost as high as the cave resulting from their impact.

Underwater, Zarbon slowed their plunge, wanting to savor the moment until all three could see Namek's ocean floor.

 _"Once they've had their fill, I'll drag them both to Lord Frieza."_

Neither Vegeta nor Pan could break free from Zarbon's grip and while both had ki to spare, it was a question of aim, which their current angle made difficult, as well as how much they'd need just to do any serious damage period. Both desperately tried holding their breath, but could do nothing about their nostrils whereas Zarbon didn't have this issue in his true form, only needing to close his mouth.

* * *

While only thirty seconds passed, to Trunks, it felt like an eternity. With Vegeta's beatings and Pan tired out from Kaio-Ken times three, he dreaded their odds against Zarbon.

"I can't watch anymore! I need to get in there now!"

Chronoa stood before him.

"We've got a bigger problem."

"Bigger than this?!"

"Listen!"

She unveiled another event occurring adjacent to the current battle:

"Gohan is about to pass the point Vegeta's supposed to intercept him. This is critical."

Trunks, seeing both events playing out, tried to think of something.

"I could... let me get to my father and Pan first, then I'll..."

"If you save Pan and your father now, he will go down a dark path of no return."

Trunks only had to imagine what would occur if Gohan arrived to the cave and a waiting Vegeta: two Dragon Balls, one stolen from Vegeta, within the Saiyan Prince's grasp, and immortality only three kills away.

"Damn it..."


	24. Trunks' Ploy! Towa's Gambit!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

"If you save Pan and your father now, he will go down a dark path of no return."

Trunks hated this predicament he was in.

 _"Damn it..."_

"I don't know for sure how it would go: whether Vegeta would kill all three of them..."

Trunks pictured his mother, Krillin, and Gohan slain at his father's feet.

"...or if Krillin and Gohan might kill him..."

Now he saw Vegeta dead at Gohan's and Krillin's feet.

"...or if both your father and any one of them would be dead."

Whoever the Earthling casualty was, none of the possible scenarios were any less devastating.

"That's why you have to intervene with Gohan now."

"But even if I intervened now, it'd be too late..."

"Yes..."

Chronoa took the scroll and began to turn back the time on Namek prior to Gohan nearing the vital meeting point.

"...which is why you're going farther back."

Trunks hung up his coat nearby, revealing a dark grey long-sleeved shirt and the full length of his brown gloves.

"Obviously I can't afford to be noticed..." he began, strapping what appeared to be a watch on his right gloved wrist. "...so I think this will do the trick."

Now having found the ideal place to drop him off, Chronoa handed him the scroll.

"Keep Gohan from getting there. I'll let you know when the time is right."

"Watch over Pan. Please."

She noted the concern in his voice.

"I will."

Wrapping both his hands around the scroll, he closed his eyes as a beam of light covered him. Once he disappeared completely from her view, Chronoa took the scroll and moved time forward to Pan's current predicament...

* * *

Sinking, Vegeta to her side, and neither of them able to escape their impending descent towards the bottom of Namek. She had overheard the crisis Trunks and Chronoa were in and, as much as she had hoped for it, she wasn't going to get back-up.

 _"Do what you have to do, Trunks."_

* * *

Now on Namek minutes prior to Vegeta's final battle with Zarbon, Trunks made his way to cover, sensing Gohan flying in his direction. He clicked on the watch's screen.

"Here goes..."

The young Gohan, the Namekian four star Dragon Ball in his hands, stopped in midair upon noticing a white glow from behind a large rock.

"What could that be?"

From behind it, a figure floated upward, donned in Saiyan-esque armor and shoulders pads, white gloves and boots, and a mouth-covering helmet not unlike those worn by the Frieza Force, but with a dark visor that made his eyes difficult to see.

"Stop right there, uh... scum!"

His mask had a built-in voice changer, distorting it to the point that it would be unrecognizable to Gohan, unlike any voices had heard or would hear up until the Cell Games.

Gohan tried flying around him, forcing Trunks to fly in front of him without going faster than anything Gohan had seen so far.

"That Dragon Ball belongs to Lord Frieza! Hand it over!"

He fired a ki blast past Gohan, which the young half-Saiyan perceived as a warning shot.

"That was your one warning! I'm taking it from you... now!"

He flew in Gohan's way again, then swiped the Dragon Ball from the son of Goku's hands.

"Hey!"

Trunks made his way to land, Gohan in pursuit.

"Give that back!"

Seeing Gohan about to fire at him, Trunks turned his head and anticipated the angle of the shot.

"Never!"

Trunks could easily avoid it, but as the blast left Gohan's hands, he maneuvered in such a way for it to strike the Dragon Ball head-on, knocking it out of his hands. He gestured as if he was shocked and grunted, then he and Gohan both followed it as it rolled towards a hill. Both fired bolts to stop or slow down the other, Trunks' always just close enough for Gohan to think he was in danger.

As the ball finally came to a stop and Gohan tried picking it back up, Trunks fired at Gohan's feet rapidly. In a fashion akin to his father's reaction to Launch firing bullets at him, Gohan hopped on both feet repeatedly to avoid Trunks' barrage of ki blasts.

''"He'll pick up that I'm toying with him unless I change things up."''

He stopped firing, then flew in front of Gohan, his foot standing atop the Dragon Ball.

"Tell you what, Kid..."

Gohan waited to see what this mysterious Frieza Force soldier would do next.

"Last one breathing gets the Dragon Ball."

He tried taking on a menacing pose.

"Get ready to meet your maker."

He found Gohan trying to hide any nervousness he may have had, ready to fight.

"I won't run away!"

* * *

Upon touching the ground, Pan and Vegeta were both held down, trying to move their faces out of the sanded floor. Suddenly, a thought sparked in Zarbon's head...

One he found delightful.

 _"Dodoria was right! This is so much simpler! I'll just tell Lord Frieza that Vegeta chose death over facing him!"_

He grinned as he mused over this new plan.

 _"I'll bring the one Dragon Ball as collateral, then Ginyu can find the rest. Oh, this will work out perfectly."_

* * *

Chronoa already feared the worst.

"Zarbon shouldn't be acting like this. He should want Vegeta alive. But now..."

* * *

 _"He'll kill us both."_ mused Pan, whose vision was already beginning to blur.

With her left arm stuck, Pan couldn't manage a Kamehameha, and even with a one-handed one, had to assume it wouldn't be enough to get out of the water.

* * *

The Surpreme Kai of Time knew she should stay the course, but even now, she was conflicted.

 _"Pan and Vegeta will die. They'll drown unless I do something."_

The scroll in her hand, she readied her hand to swipe time backward to get in contact with Trunks.

 _"I just hope he has kept Gohan at bay long enough..."_

* * *

Pan went to reach for the Power Pole's case on her back...

 _"I forgot. It's not there. It fell into the water after Dodoria..."_

She paused in mid-thought when she took a closer look to her right at something nestled between rocks...

 _"Grandpa's Power Pole!"_

* * *

Chronoa stopped what she was about to do.

"You found it?"

* * *

 _''I just need to...''_

Pan reached in front of her, managing to touch it with her fingertips, and slowly dragged it closer.

 _"Got it!"_

Finally, she held it in her hand and tried to aim with it. She knew a simple jab of it would only slightly irritate Zarbon, so she had to hit something that would leave him vulnerable. As far as she could tell, his head was turned away from her...

Zarbon eyed Vegeta, smirking as the Saiyan shook violently, bubbles flowing from the sides of his head.

 _"The Prince of all Saiyans... snuffed out by water. I'm going to savor the last of your life leaving your body."_

 _"There isn't much time, Pan!"_ warned Chronoa. _"You have to act, now!"_

Pan agreed, especially now that it was harder to see the very Power Pole in her hand. She thought of the size of Zarbon's head, as it was in this form, and tried to account for where it would be from where she lied and where Zarbon stood. Too much to one side, and she'd simply jab his right cheek. Too high up, his forehead, and too low, his chin.

 _"Here goes..."_

"POWER POLE EXTEND!"

It extended, one side digging into the ground. The other struck rose to her intended target and Pan put her strength into the thrusting polearm...

Just then, a muffled scream followed by the smell of blood.

Now that Zarbon's hand no longer held her down, she turned and saw dark green in the water, as well as tons of bubbles spreading out from his mouth.

 _"Vegeta!"_

Pan knew even if they both swam now, they might both lose consciousness by the time they got out, if not drown beforehand.

 _"Chronoa... how far can the Power Pole reach?"_

 _"Goku reached the Earth's moon with it."_

 _"The moon?!"_

Pan planted the Power Power downward, then took hold of the other end in her left. She look to her right and saw Vegeta on the ground, turning over with ki in his hands for an attack. She reached out with her right hand...

 _"You'd better take me up on this, Vegeta..."_

Not about to wait on him, she grabbed hold of his wrist, grabbing hold as tight as she could. On his face, she could see him flustered at what she was trying to do.

"POWER POLE... EXTEND!"

She felt herself rising upward as Vegeta felt the same while in Pan's grip.

* * *

Krillin and Bulma stood looking over at the water below. Vegeta, Pan, and Zarbon were so deep below the two of them couldn't see anything of them.

"I should have done something..." Krillin mused. "Guru unlocked my potential... and all I did was..."

"Wait...!" interrupted Bulma, pointing... "Down there!"

They saw two blurred figures coming upward, along with some kind of red pole...

"Wait, that's just like..."

A splash...

Followed by Pan holding onto the pole and Vegeta, and both coughing up water and gasping for air. At this point, all Pan could see was yellow and orange blurs atop green-blue blurs.

With a swing of her right hand, she threw Vegeta towards land. Krillin, unintentionally standing in Vegeta's path, caught him.

 _"Now Vegeta's..."_

Pan felt her grip slipping...

And saw herself falling...

When her left hand was gripped by both of Bulma's, who crouched over, trying to keep her footing. With a pull, she yanked Pan to shore, then lowered her down onto her back gently.

"You're okay. Just stay with us."

Krillin did not receive the same treatment with Vegeta, who pushed him away.

"Get o...*cough*!"

Both him and Pan simply looked upward at the sky, their vision slowly unblurring, coughing out all the water they took in, and taking this moment to let their bodies recover from their near-drowning at the hands of Zarbon.

 _"I promise you, Bulla... I will keep your father safe."_

 _"The second Zarbon is done with his bath, I'll make sure he rests at sea."_

Another splash...

Perhaps too soon, Zarbon arose, his right hand covering his right eye. Pan and Vegeta quickly hopped to their feet as Zarbon let go, revealing his right eye had turned the same color as his blood. He pointed at her with his bloodied hand.

"You wretch! You nearly gouged out my eye!"

With a snarl, Zarbon was out for blood, slamming his fists towards the two of them. Bulma and Krillin made their way to cover, stumbling from the impact, as Vegeta and Pan had just managed to get out of the way, then went for kicks. Frieza's right hand managed to block both, Vegeta's striking his right arm to no effect...

But Pan's kicked his left, whose burns from before were far more visible, the impact more than irritable. She noticed unlike before, there was no purple aura.

 _"Chronoa... you don't think there's any of Towa's formula left, do you?"_

 _"Zarbon shouldn't have been able to block your times three Kamehameha earlier. That formula encompassed his arm, allowing him to withstand it... but from the looks of it, I think it used itself up doing so. So now..."_

As Zarbon reeled from her first kick, Pan's second struck his right side. Vegeta, seeing an opening, flew past him with a punch to his face.

 _"There's no more power-up."_

She took on a similar approach to Vegeta, flying past Zarbon while delivering a punch. Once Zarbon began to turn around, he was met by a simultaneous punch from both of them, then two blasts to his chest, knocking him farther away from the water.

From there, Vegeta flew upward, firing several ki bullets at Zarbon, whom shielded himself with his right arm while firing a charged beam with his left. Seeing Vegeta falling out of the sky, Pan flew forward to keep Zarbon at bay.

This time, Zarbon side-stepped her intended punch, then grabbed hold of Pan by her cape. He slammed her downward, then took hold of Pan by her shoulders as he tilted his head backward.

 _"Come on, body!"_

"KAIO-KE...!"

She was interrupted by a headbutt from Zarbon.

"Nice try."

He then tilted his head back once again.

"But no more."

Another headbutt, leaving Pan further dazed.

Vegeta, seeing this transpire, began to charge up ki for a blast. From this angle, he'd end up blasting through her to hit Zarbon. Pan saw this and tried getting her ki shield up.

 _"Damn it, Vegeta..."_

Zarbon headbutt her once more, shattering the shield and leaving her exposed for one more.

"Good night."

As his head was about to go forward...

Two feet crashed into it, followed by Zarbon being tunneled underground by Vegeta's hit.

 _"He was about to blast us both... but he did that instead."_

Seeing Pan staring at him, Vegeta crossed his arms to her.

"What?"

"I..." stumbled Pan. "Thank you."

"You think I did that for you? I saw an opening. That's all."

In spite of this, Pan grinned back at him.

 _"It's baby steps..."_

Just then, an explosion from below her feet expanded through the ground she stood on, knocking her back into the water. From this crater rose Zarbon at his angriest by far.

"No more talk! No more playing around! I'll rend your spine here and now, Vegeta!"

Vegeta, however, was at confident as he had ever been.

"I'll enjoy watching you try, Zarbon."

The two charged towards each other, neither intending to avoid the impending collision and preparing their own killing blows. Pan, taking hold of the massive Power Pole, which shrank as she made her way to land, did not like Vegeta's odds.

 _"Zarbon may be in bad shape, but Vegeta's not any better."_

She saw Zarbon's exposed back and pondered if her Power Pole could do something.

 _"Tripping him might not be enough and I'm not sure throwing it will do much at this point."_

A thought occurred to her and as much as her muscles ached at it, Pan knew what was at stake.

 _"You can hate me later, body."_

She began running on foot herself...

"Kaio-Ken..."

She readied her Power Pole like a javelin.

"Times..."

Zarbon heard this, but disregarded it as he saw Vegeta grasping his stomach with his other hand.

 _"My fists'll turn your bones to powder before your hand can reach me!"_

Pan saw him starting to raise both his fists and finally pushed herself to say...

"Three!"

The thrown Power Pole struck the back of Zarbon's leg, causing him to stumble. Zooming toward the bouncing Power Pole, Pan retrieved it, then, as Zarbon tried to slam his fists down on the approaching Saiyan, Pan struck his back with the Power Pole, causing him to step forward into the path of Vegeta's fist, which pierced his stomach.

 _"You did it, Pan!"_ shouted Chronoa. _"Now hurry, while everyone's looking at Vegeta."_

Pan flew behind the cave with what was left of her Kaio-Ken. Bulma and Krillin did look in her direction initially, but looked back at Vegeta upon hearing...

"Wait, Vegeta! Don't kill me, please!"

* * *

Back on Trunks' end, he had spent all his time since being sent back to stalling Gohan with their battle. This whole time, he had to hold back extensively so as not to hit or harm Gohan while simultaneously appear as if he intended to.

"C'mere, you little runt! Fight me up close like a... a monkey!"

Immediately, Trunks knew he had to work on his evil henchman banter. Then for the first time since he arrived, he heard Chronoa's voice declare...

 _"Pan did it, Trunks!"_

 _"She did?!"_

The good news left him exposed to a hit from the slowly angered Gohan. The hit didn't cause too much harm, but Trunks flew backward, flailing and acting like it was a far greater hit.

"Agh! How are you this strong?!"

 _"Supreme Kai of Time, what should I do now?"_

 _"Wrap things up here."_

 _"Roger."_

Gohan, not buying his act earlier, flew around Trunks repeatedly, hitting him with each pass. Trunks knew in any other context, he could easily block and counter each of these, but he had to keep taking the hits.

"Awww nooo!" cowered Trunks.

As he fell down, he felt Gohan charging his ki for a more powerful attack, one that he recognized immediately.

"Masenko!"

Trunks covered himself with his hands, then allowed himself to be pushed down towards the water below.

"This can't be! AUUUUUUGH!"

As he was sent into the sea, he finally let the beam pass him, then hit himself from Gohan's view. He sensed Gohan's ki, hoping he'd finally grab the Dragon Ball and leave, but the son of Goku didn't.

 _"He's waiting for me. He knows I'm still here. I'd better get back up there."_

He made a big splash and gave a huge gasp, as if he was lucky to be alive. He crawled onto land, looking over at Gohan, who remained suspicious of him.

"You're not fooling me."

Seeing Gohan about to make another move, Trunks put out both his hands out nervously.

"Wait, wait, please!"

He crouched onto his knees, his hands over his head and looking down at the dirt.

"The Dragon Ball is all yours."

He looked back at Gohan, appearing to shiver in fear.

"I'm done working for Frieza. I'm going to leave the force and rethink my life."

At last, Gohan grabbed hold of the Dragon Ball, not seeing Trunks making any moves or sensing him preparing ki for a back stab.

"I know you're not as evil as the rest of them," Gohan suggested.

He began to float off the ground.

"I hope I see you as a good guy some day."

Gohan watched as Trunks slowly waved to him before flying forward towards his originally intended destination.

"Good luck, kid."

He stood waiting for the all-clear.

 _"...and Gohan is headed back at the right time. Well done, Trunks."_

"Phew."

He clicked the watch again, deactivating the disguise and allowing him to be free of the helmet.

"I couldn't see in that thing."

 _"It's not over just yet. When you get back here, I'm going to send you forward in time to do one more thing."_

* * *

Bulma and Krillin saw Zarbon begging Vegeta to spare him while Pan listened to it behind the cave.

"We... we can work together! Together, we... we can defeat Lord Frieza!"

In spite of this plea, Vegeta caught his bluff.

"Loyal to Frieza to the end. Well don't worry: he'll join you in Hell soon enough."

With a beam piercing through his back, Zarbon was launched off Vegeta's hand and left everyone's view with a massive splash.

* * *

Mira didn't hear a single noise out of Towa even as Zarbon was slain by Vegeta. As far as he could see, she didn't have a hint of anger on her face.

"Zarbon has failed and yet you are not... upset."

"Seeing as how this patroller had far exceeded my expectations prior, I had planned for the probability of her success here."

"Just what is your contingency?"

"It is a risk, but it will be worth it, Mira."

* * *

Pan, her back against the cave just to keep herself standing up, eagerly awaited her departure.

 _"Is it time for me to head back yet?"_

 _"Not just yet,"_ answered Trunks.

She heard a conversation begin between Krillin and Vegeta.

"You should've thanked her, Vegeta."

"Ha! For what?"

"Even after the hell you put us through, she still saved you."

Knowing what he had done against both Dodoria and Zarbon, Vegeta turned to look over at the latter's body...

...but didn't see it.

* * *

Back in the round room, Trunks and Chronoa looked over the deceased Dodoria's body as the former waved a scanning device over the body, finding...

"Hold on a minute..."

A chemical compound of some kind and its components were being identified.

"Towa's formula! It's still there in Dodoria's body! With this, we could deceipher it. Maybe find a way to counteract it the next time."

 _"Wait a minute..."_ Pan began to inquire, overhearing them. _"You have Dodoria's body?"_

"Right as my father was finishing Zarbon, I flew in and grab Dodoria's body unseen."

 _"What for? It wasn't going to disappear?"_

"Dodoria's in the correct place in the afterlife, but not his body. Seeing as how his body will remain intact without my father having destroyed it, we'll hold onto it for the time being."

Chronoa put her hands over the scroll, readying it for Pan's return.

"Alright, it's time to bring you back, Pan."

* * *

Pan let herself slide down and sit, letting herself relax.

 _"Good, because let me tell you two, all this Kaio-Ken has..."_

She saw a flash of light encompass her surroundings, but... it wasn't from her going through time.

 _"What... what is this?!"_

* * *

Trunks and Chronoa were shocked at what had happened.

 _"What... what is thi...?!"_

Suddenly, Pan's feed had gone completely silent. Trunks saw no sign of her at all.

"Where did she go?!"

Chronoa created a globe of Namek and tried searching for her, but...

"I... I can't read her location!"


	25. Sins of the Past! Towa's Intent!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

"Even after the hell you put us through, she still saved you."

As he heard Krillin telling him off, Vegeta turned towards Dodoria's body...

But saw no trace of it.

"She saved you."

A flash occurred right after Krillin's remark and Vegeta looked puzzled at Krillin and Bulma.

"That blue-haired Earth woman saved me?"

Krillin didn't even know what they were just talking about: both their memories were that of the true history.

"Earthling, I believe we still have business to discuss..."

Krillin saw Vegeta walking closer and eyeing something behind him.

"Regarding your Dragon Ball."

* * *

Pan watched as the flash of light she was caught in revealed an entire different part of Namek. She sat on what looked like a round spot of land surrounded by pillar-esque structures. Sitting on a tree stump...

"Greetings, patroller."

Towa, cradling her staff.

"You...!" snarled Pan.

"I'll admit I underestimated you in your first three battles. I took precautions for this one and you still exceeded my expectations."

Even as her body felt sore, Pan began to turn away, ready to fly out.

"What's to stop me from leaving?"

"Nothing... although a sizable number of Frieza's forces are gathered outside this field..."

Pan put out her hand past one of the structures, seeing a field that made itself visible momentarily before vanishing.

"Should they spot you, they will likely report you to Lord Frieza... and that would alter history. You wouldn't want to do that, now would you?"

With a sigh, Pan realized Towa was right.

"So I'm your hostage, is that it?"

"It's simply incentive for us to talk. They will pass us in due time. There is a reason I wish to speak with you..."

Towa crossed her legs, sitting more casually and relaxed.

"And why I had Mire spare your life."

"You expect me to be grateful?"

"You are owed an explanation."

Pan turned back to Towa and sat on the ground.

"You care for them... the Z-Fighters. Goku. Gohan. Even Vegeta. More than professional courtesy."

Towa tapped her staff and the ground beneath Pan began to rise and shape itself, soon resembling a chair.

"You thought about ringing out Piccolo at the tournament, as well as pulling on Raditz's tail so Goku didn't have to die, but you weren't permitted to act on them..."

 _"She's figuring me out..."_

"And yet you warned Yamcha before his death."

In anger, Pan's ki shattered the chair Towa had created for her.

"You don't get to talk about him!"

"You're acting as if he was meant to survive that battle. That was his death in history."

Pan pointed at Towa.

"You're the one powering up villains!"

Towa's grin shifted into a neutral expression.

"It was not my first call, but villains are far easier to utilize."

"All just to kill everyone?"

"Changing the past is never without casualties. Trunks knows that first-hand. One of the many secrets he kept... such as who his father really is."

Towa decided to stand up, her staff touching the ground.

"My last alteration on Earth and this one you stopped would've had positive effects."

"Like Trunks never being born?!"

"Like a smaller body count. Innocents killed by his hand living longer lives instead."

Towa noticed Pan's silence.

"You believe all his evil actions stemmed from Frieza... but that is a fiction."

Pan stepped back, trying to find a counter to this.

"No, he's..."

"Look..."

With a tap on the ground from her staff, a holographic image emerged of...

"A village of Namekians."

To Pan's horror, she saw Vegeta firing into the crowd.

"All murdered in cold blood by him..."

An all-too-familiar object was in his hand afterward.

"All for a Dragon Ball. He did all of this while going rogue against Frieza."

Pan felt sick to her stomach seeing this as Towa's staff formed another hologram of an event that the patroller had participated in.

"Him having Nappa and the Saibamen kill four of the Z-Fighters on Earth, then trying to destroy the planet."

As she saw the holographic Vegeta laugh at the deaths of Yamcha and Tien, Pan could practically hear the memory of those moments.

"All of this... behind Frieza's back."

Another hologram of a planet of insectoid-like beings.

"Arlia. This was a planet he and Nappa stopped at on their way to Earth."

They saw what appeared to be the tyrannical king of the planet being slain by a rock launched by Vegeta.

"They freed its populace from tyrannical rule, it's people grateful to them."

Indeed, Pan saw the Arlians celebrating what Vegeta and Nappa had done and joyously saw them off.

"And what did Vegeta choose to do?"

Pan almost didn't want to look. Before entering his pod, Vegeta fired a massive beam...

"He destroyed it. And Frieza didn't even order him to do so."

Seeing the destruction Vegeta caused nonchalantly combined with her sore body led her to fall onto her knees.

"Are you convinced, or would you like me to go further back than the last few months? Or perhaps a preview of what's to come will help."

Now she saw Vegeta standing in the World Martial Arts Tournament ring, the crowd packed all around him. He fired off a beam behind him without even looking, leaving a colossal hole in the stands where hundreds of spectators once stood. Upon seeing Vegeta, a strange mark on his forehead, smiling with glee, Pan rose to her feet.

"Enough!"

She charged ki in her right hand and aimed it right at Towa.

"I know what you're trying to do!"

Towa didn't show any semblance of fear.

"If you believe my intent is to lie and deceive you... that I've made this all up just to sully him..."

She placed her staff on the tree stump.

"That I am a monster."

Pan couldn't believe it: Towa stood with her arms stretched out, fully intending to take the blast.

"Then kill me. Mira won't stop you this time. I will perish and my fiction with me."

Towa closed her eyes, as if at peace with what could be her death at the hands of Pan.

 _"All of this... it's..."_

* * *

Pan's mind went back to her last day on her Earth: Frieza's invasion and destruction of her home. After he taunted Vegeta with his past deeds...

"...had you succeeded in killing Goku, you would have conquered the Earthlings, if not destroyed the planet."

"...after all the people you've killed, all the innocents you slaughtered... do you really think starting a family resolves you of your past?"

She then looked back at Bulla, who tried helping her father up.

"Dad... everything he said... is it...?"

"It's true."

Back then, Pan couldn't believe it, but now, after everything Towa had shown her...

"Everything he said... is true."

* * *

A tear leaving her eye, Pan lowered her hand, ceasing her intended attack.

"Just tell me... why did you turn on the Time Patrol?"

Towa took hold of her staff once more and sighed, indicating she wasn't fond of what she was about to discuss.

"Toki Toki City was my home after I lost Dabura. Once my brother was taken from me, the Demon Realm descended into chaos... and I couldn't do anything about it."

Pan could feel the pain in Towa's voice wasn't that of a deceiver. In fact, the tone was all too familiar to her.

"I cherished my time in the Time Patrol... I truly did. Then came the accident."

"Your sparring bot."

* * *

Towa remembered what happened clear as day. For the first demonstration, it was pitted against a group of Saiyans, whom initially seemed too much for it, but once it powered up, they were all defeated. The next to battle the bot was Hale, the recruit from Frieza's Race.

The Saiyans who were defeated prior heckled Hale, including Hakusa, but everyone was shocked to see him match the sparring bot even admist its increases in power. When the bot was downed, Towa shook his hand and congratulated him. She went to her control panel to shut her creation down for the day...

An error. Its power kept growing and its inhibitors keeping it from going too far were overwritten. As she tried to fix this, Towa watched as her creation was out for blood, critically injuring several before preparing to fire at the group of Saiyans. Hale, whom she just shook hands with, got in front of the sparring bot, taking the beam himself.

As she looked in horror at the hole in Hale's chest as he fell, Towa tried everything she could to shut it down then and there. Finally, the console was operational again and just as she activated its shutdown, Trunks descended upon the sparring bot, cutting it in half with his sword.

Then she saw the surrounding patrollers, those injured and those tending to them, all looking over at her and what her creation had done.

"I'm so sorry."

She ran, covering her face as she couldn't bear to look them in the eye.

* * *

"I was devastated. I couldn't bear what I had done. I ran into Chronoa's library..."

After closing the massive doors so she could be alone, Towa accidentally bumped into a shelf of scrolls, knocking over several before sitting against the shelf's side. When a few of them opened to reveal their contents, she noticed several notable events, including Goku as a Great Ape destroying Pilaf's castle, Goku and Piccolo's confrontation with Raditz, and onward. But one caught her eye... an event she knew by heart...

"A scroll showcasing the one moment I would give anything to change..."

She took the scroll into her hand and squeezed it, then found herself leaving the libary back to...

* * *

 **Age 474**

The Demon Realm, her brother, Towa as a child, and a short creature that oozed pure evil.

"The day I lost everything to that monster Babidi."

Dabura stood in front of the younger Towa to protect her.

"Leave, Towa! I will dispose of this warlock!"

Once the young Towa was at a far enough distance, he drew a sword, ready to do battle.

"Now I will show you why I am the Demon King!"

As Babidi readied a spell...

Towa emerged from behind the warlock, putting her staff in front of his neck before pulling it towards her, choking him. Dabura was stunned at this.

"T... Towa? Is that you?"

Babidi tried to slip free.

"Quickly, brother! Slay him, now!"

With a grin, Dabura pointed his sword at Babidi.

"With pleasure, sister."

He then readied it for a decapitating swing.

"Just when I was about to change his fate..."

Another flash followed by the glow of Super Saiyan hair and the clang of two blades meeting:

"Trunks interfered."

Dabura was puzzled at this stranger and his strength, but was also infuriated by his interference.

"You dare...!"

With a forceful shove, Dabura was sent onto his back, watching as Trunks then grabbed hold of Towa and flew away from them.

From a distance, Towa as a child, hiding behind a boulder, watched as with a single spell, Dabura fell to his knees before Babidi.

The adult Towa, trying to wrestle herself out of Trunks' grip, saw the same event as a child, but at a new angle. Now she saw Dabura's face showcase a struggle to overcome this fate, but once an M-esque mark formed on his forehead, his expression was blank as if he ceased to be his own self.

Once Dabura rose at Babidi's command and the two departed, the young Towa fell to her knees, burying her face in the rock as she sobbed while from above, tears streamed from the adult Towa.

* * *

Back in the Time Nest, Trunks and Chronoa both desperately tried to figure out just what had happened.

"Towa could've taken Pan anywhere." Trunks began, panicking.

As Chronoa was looking closely at the scroll at the moment of Pan's abduction, her eyes opened wide.

"Wait..."

"She could be in another timeline for all we know!" continued Trunks. "Who even knows what Towa will do...!"

"Trunks, calm down!"

She gestured Trunks closer to her.

"Look at this..."

She pointed over to the flash of light, which traveled upward, but never exited the planet's atmosphere.

"The trail doesn't exit Namek itself. Pan's still there."

She saw the trail curve and travel back downward before seemingly vanishing.

"I can tell she's on this half of the planet, but from here, Towa's trail seems to cloak itself."

Trunks began to recollect about Towa's last meeting with Pan.

"Towa seems to have found a way of making her location invisible to us and blocking our signal so we can't hear what's on Pan's end."

Now the both of them were attempting to find a means of tracking their location. Just then, a metaphorical light bulb floated over Trunks.

"I think I've got it."

He took out a vial of a sample of...

"The formula in Towa's staff gives off a unique ki signature. That's how Goku managed to find her back on Earth."

He inserted it into a scanning device.

"With this, I could scan for her formula. I'll be able to find them."

Chronoa handed him the scroll, having been moved back to the moment of Pan being taken.

"I know you will. Just make sure no one sees you."

* * *

Towa and Pan sat on the ground across from each other, Pan having taken in what Towa told her and Towa waiting until she was composed enough to continue. Finally, she started again.

"I watched my brother fall victim once again, as powerless to stop it in that moment as I was as a child."

Pan could only recall when she was willing to bet it all to change her past and save her family and home. She imagined herself trying to stop Frieza from killing Bulla and Hercule only for Trunks to take hold of her and fly her away, having to watch Bulla killed by a beam to her chest and Hercule choked to death once again.

 _"If that had happened..."_

She then imagined herself in space having to watch the destruction of Earth.

 _"I don't want to think what I would've done."_

She noticed Towa wiping her eyes.

"When I was brought back, they both deliberated on what to do with me..."

* * *

Across from Towa was bunches of scrolls knocked over. While Towa sat there listening to what Trunks and Chronoa were saying, she couldn't help but look at one scroll that struck her in particular...

One showing Trunks emerging from a time machine, then flying to confront the newly cyborg Frieza, his father King Cold, and the Frieza Force.

"Trunks..."

He and Chronoa turned to her, then saw her holding out this scroll, watching Trunks slay these enemies of the Z-Fighters.

"You did all of this."

Chronoa put her hand out and tried explaining.

"Towa, what happened there was..."

Further down, she saw Trunks handing Goku a capsule containing medicine designed to prevent his death by a heart virus.

"He wasn't doing this preserve history... he changed it."

She got onto her feet and pointed at Trunks.

"You took it upon yourself, didn't you?!"

"What Trunks did..."

"You stopped me..." Towa interrupted. "...and you let him get away with this. All of this!"

* * *

"And what did they decide to do when I pointed this out?"

* * *

"Towa..." began Chronoa. "You will be sent back to the Demon Realm with no memory of your time here."

* * *

"So I ran out of there, taking only my creation with me. For what was only a short time in Toki Toki City, I spent years back in my old home, now ruined remains of what it once was."

"You tried changing time again..."

"Indeed. Without the Time Patrol's resources, it took me what seemed like ages, but eventually, I discovered a means by which I could travel back in time. With it, I tried again and again at several points in time to change everything and save my brother, but Trunks always came in and stopped me."

Once again, Pan imagined herself in the shoes of Towa: having who were once her friends stop her from what she was trying to do for so long that now she saw them only as her arch-enemies.

"But you stopped at some point."

"Only because I realized my efforts had gone fruitless and I had to rethink my strategy."

"Your formula..."

"That and I finally realized after all those years a way of keeping Trunks at bay: he couldn't afford to show himself prior to his first appearance in the timeline, lest he risk undoing everything he had done. That, I believe, is where you came in, to do what he couldn't."

"Why empower villains?"

"Heroes didn't take to my formula. The demonic energy... or evil, if you prefer... would always be refused and cast out. Villains were the only suitable candidates, as much as I would've preferred otherwise."

"But you got it to work on Krillin. What changed?"

"That was a test, actually. I speculated on if it were used on one in a moment of killing intent whether it'd overwrite their restraints. Time will tell if it works consistently."

"So when the villains kill everyone... when you win... what happens?"

"Every attempted alteration of time releases these..."

Towa opened her hand, revealing to Pan...

"Distortion shards. Their essence can be converted into a source of power. Should I successfully change history, the amount released would be incalculable. With that much power behind my experiments, not even the Time Patrol or Chronoa could stop me from changing the fate of Dabura."

"But what happens to the timelines branching from the main one?"

"They're erased."

This blunt answer gave Pan pause. Towa saw this and circled around her.

"What do you think happened when Trunks changed history?"

 _"He didn't know..."_ thought Pan. _"He couldn't have known."_

"All the original branches are no more, gone for good. That was the cost for Trunks making Earth a better place."

"And you're willing to do the same knowingly? All those lives and worlds lost?"

""Him saving Goku, warning the Z-Fighters of the Androids, and the rest of his interfering birthed new timelines whose people knew better lives. How many more would've lived better without Babidi ruining and ending them... or Frieza?"

Pan tried as hard as she could not to show emotion from hearing that name.

"I may not know who you are or where you come from, Patroller, but I know your anguish. Like me, you want more than anything to go back, save what you lost, and having that chance refused. What would you give to change what happened?"

"I... I can't end worlds for it."

"You had to have tried once."

She still couldn't believe how spot-on Towa was regarding her.

"Yes, but if I had know what it would've done."

"But your family... your loved ones... they must be worth it. Dabura's worth it to me, and I will take centuries if I have to."

She then noticed Pan putting her head down.

"What is it?"

"If you win... my world will cease to exist... and so will I."

Pan noticed Towa moving her arm and lifted her head back up, realizing the enemy of the Time Patrol was putting her hand out to her.

"I want you to join me."

Pan didn't know what to think. She didn't like what Towa was doing and as a patroller, she had stopped Towa's machinations four times now, yet here Towa was now, making her an offer.

"If you join me, I swear to you I will do whatever it takes to ensure your world's survival. I can create better timelines and you can save your world. Just imagine knowing peace for the rest of your life."

Pan's mind jumped to that of her most ideal scenario of her life back on her Earth with all her friends and family. Thinking of how long it'd been since she heard their voices, saw their faces, or felt the warmth from hugging those she loved and cherished.

"Please, let me help you."

For a brief moment, Pan moved her hand towards Towa's...

But she hesitated, her hand frozen in place. Towa simply waited, letting Pan decide for herself.

 _"If there was a chance to save everyone, I would take it...but this...I can't..."_

Both suddenly noticed a shift in the barrier above them, followed by...

"TOWA!"

Towa and Pan both saw Trunks hovering downward, but still floating above them both.

"Trunks! Haven't you tormented me enough?"

"You tried to have my father killed!"

"My mistake. I should've done that before he slaughtered that village. Then those Namekians could've lived out their lives."

In spite of his anger at Towa's actions and words towards his father, he slowly morphed to a more calm demeanor, trying to negotiate.

"Please, stop this. All of it. We can work something out with Chronoa."

"You really expect me to believe that after what you both tried to pull on me?"

"No... I didn't..."

"I'm not a fool..."

Then she directed Trunks' attention towards Pan.

"And neither is she."

"Step away from Pa..."

He almost let Pan's name slip.

"Her. Step away from her, now!"

"She's seen your father for what he really is. How many innocents was it over his career?"

Pan saw what Towa's words were doing to Trunks, whose fists began to clench and who began to look down.

"He didn't deserve offspring, yet he had you. You're not the son of a hero. You're the son of a murderer... a monster!"

His teeth were now visible, trying in vain not to grind against each other.

"Tell me: how many Gohan's did you erase?"

With a shout of anger, Trunks put out his hand and began charging ki.

"Trunks!" Pan shouted. "Stop!"

He didn't head her warning and fired a blast at Towa, who, like earlier with Pan, had no intention of avoiding any intended attacks towards her. Trunks watched as his ki bullet approached Towa...

Then he realized Pan was standing in front of Towa, intending to stop the projectile.

 _"What have I...?"_

But before it touched Pan, a flash of light emerged in front of her, then the projectile bounced off...

"Mira!" began Towa in surprise, followed by frustration. "I told you not to be here!"

Towa's creation turned towards her.

"I can't risk your demise at the Time Patrol's hands. We're leaving."

Both his arms wrapped around her as Towa tried to wiggle her way free.

"No! I'm not leaving! Not without her!"

"I am sorry to disobey your order, but we are leaving now."

Trunks, now having recomposed himself, tried to reach out to Towa.

"Towa, wait!"

By the time his hand was about to reach her, Towa and Mira had vanished from their sight. For a moment, all he could think about was their first exchange in years and how poorly he acted in response.

 _"Towa knew just which of my buttons to press. I was so stupid."_

He sighed and turned back to Pan, then clicked on his earpiece.

"Alright, Supreme Kai of Time. Send us back."

And with one last flash, both of them left Namek.

* * *

Now having been returned to the Time Nest, Pan let herself crouch over, grasping her stomach.

"Pan..." began Trunks, noticing the makeshift wrap across her stomach to her back she made from her cape. "Are you okay?"

He put a hand on her shoulder...

"Don't touch me!"

She smacked his hand away, then made her way back to her feet.

 _"After what I almost did..."_ he thought to himself. _"I had that coming."_

Pan pointed at him.

"You promised me..."

"I haven't lied to you about anything."

"'My father is difficult.' It's half-truths all over again! You're always finding technicalities!"

She then turned to the Supreme Kai of Time next to him.

"As for you Chronoa..."

While she and Trunks didn't hear any of Pan and Towa's conversation, she already knew what was coming.

"You're going to admit what you and Trunks did. Towa didn't just turn on you: you both tried to wipe her memory! You did this!"

She saw Trunks fumbling to say something.

"Both of you!"

"No!" interrupted Chronoa. "Trunks didn't!"

Pan waited to hear her explanation.

"He didn't. I... it was my fault."

* * *

Upon reemerging in the library, Trunks let go of Towa, whom fell to her knees, then lied on her side, sobbing. He didn't know what to say, but he eventually spit out the only thing he could think of.

"I am so sorry."

After hearing this, Towa looked up at him, her sorrow replaced with anger. She sat up on one leg, then jabbed him away from her with her staff. He was bumped into a table, knocking over several scrolls.

"WHY?! Why would you stop me?!"

"TOWA!"

Chronoa was furious.

"Do you realize what you could have done?! Did you even think about what would happened to EVERYONE HERE?!"

Towa couldn't even speak.

"Any of the patrollers born after that event would've ceased to exist! Gone for good!"

"I didn't know..."

"You were willing to sacrifice your fellow patrollers for..."

"I DIDN'T KNOW!"

In spite of seeing and hearing Towa's sadness and regret, Chronoa didn't change her tone or posture for even a moment.

"You've broken our trust. There is no second chance after this."

As Towa began to notice something about the scrolls near her, Trunks stepped in front of Chronoa.

"Supreme Kai of Time, please... please reconsider."

* * *

"When Towa questioned us, I made the decision to wipe her memory then and there."

* * *

"You will be sent back to the Demon Realm with no memory of your time here."

Towa looked terrified after hearing Chronoa's sentence for her. Trunks, however, was desperate to stop this.

"You gave me a second chance for what I did. Please, give Towa..."

Chronoa's hand glowed. Towa took a few steps back, dreading what was to come.

"Please, Chronoa, don't...!"

Towa turned and ran, trying to get away as Chronoa fired from her hand.

"No!"

Trunks flew right behind the fleeing Towa, intercepting the blast before it could touch her. As Chronoa ran over to Trunks, shocked at what she had done, Towa was gone.

* * *

Pan's entire view on Chronoa and Trunks would never be the same after hearing what had transpired with Towa.

"After I recovered..." Trunks began. "The next time I met Towa, I stopped her trying to change history in the same place as before. I tried to bring her back with me, but she escaped. This happened again and again until I became synonymous with Babidi: the one that kept taking everything from her."

 _"Having been at war with you for so long, Towa has forgotten what you did for her,"_ thought Pan.

While no tears emerged from Chronoa's eyes, this was the first time Pan had ever seen her with such remorse.

"At the time, I stood by what I did, but as time went on, I realized what I had done."

"That's why you stopped me from doing what Towa did..." realized Pan. "So I didn't become the next one."

"I realized too late I should've had compassion for Towa instead of casting her out. In my millions of years of life, that was the worst mistake I've ever made."

She fell to her knees, looking down.

"She was our friend... and I did this to her. Look at what it has wrought."

Trunks knelt next to Chronoa, trying to comfort her, but unable to find anything to say.

"After I was so heartless... we don't deserve your help..."

"If you don't want to do this anymore, we understand."

Even with all they had done and with the offer Trunks began, Pan wasn't about to knowingly stop protecting history and those she cared about.

"I won't stand by while Towa does harm, temporary or otherwise..."

At first, Chronoa and Trunks felt reassured, but Pan's tone made it clear she was done being kept in the dark.

"But if I even think either of you are keeping anything from me, you can wipe my memory and send me home for all I care! You understand me?"

Both nodded to her, but this did not suffice.

"I want to hear you say it!"

They looked Pan in her eyes.

"Yes."

Trunks struggled to do so, but finally...

"Yes, Pan. We understand."

Now having her answer, Pan left, waiting until she was out of their sight before letting herself limp from her condition. Tokitoki saw Pan pass him, then flew into the library to Chronoa and Trunks.

"Toh... toh..."

Chronoa turned to answer him.

"I don't know anymore."

* * *

As Pan lied on her bed, bandages over her wrists and upper body, and her muscles not yet back to normal, her mind kept coming back to her best friend Bulla's lineage.

 _"How?"_

As she saw Trunks and Bulla with their mother and father, Pan couldn't stop seeing flashes of Vegeta's horrible deeds.

 _"How did you...?"_

She then narrowed her focus to Bulma, who had children with Vegeta.

 _"You didn't know what he did? What he was?"_

Trying to think back to her world's Vegeta did nothing but remind her of all the life he had taken, both unnecessarily and joyously.

 _"...what he is."_


	26. Repercussion! Haunting of Vegeta!

Co-written by SuperSaiyan2Link.

* * *

Pan remembered two moments of her life prior to her last day on her Earth that hit her the hardest:

One was the passing of her great-grandfather and Chi-Chi's father. She recalled Bulla trying to console her, as well as Vegeta offering his sympathy to Chi-Chi, even allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

The next moment was the passing of both of Bulla's grandparents and Bulma's parents. Pan consoled her best friend and Trunks, who was running Capsule Corp, took the day to mourn.

After Bulma spoke at length about her parents, Vegeta decided to say a few words. In his usual fashion, he didn't say much, but he indicated they always made him feel like a part of their family in spite of being a total stranger and that he would never forget their kindness towards him.

But her dream took a dark turn when she saw four memorials of those who died in their battle against the Saibamen and Nappa followed by the Vegeta of the past laughing at them. It was worse when she looked to her side, seeing a larger number of memorials with writing that was alien to her, to which Vegeta continued laughing.

The worst came when Pan turned around completely, seeing memorials that kept going farther than her eye could see. Just then, she saw herself and Vegeta floating upward, seeing the memorials stretch even farther until, from orbit, the entire planet was blanketed with them. He told her those he killed were all toys for him to break for his amusement.

He then pointed to distant planets, cackling that Pan had only scratched the surface as those planets too were filled with those whose deaths he was responsible for.

* * *

Pan woke up in a sweat from everything her brain was trying to process. While her dreams of Frieza destroying everything were still the worst nightmares her mind could muster, this one stood among them.

 _"Grandpa made Krillin spare his life... the life of the Saiyan that ordered Nappa to kill their friends... and for what?! A rival?!"_

After catching a glimpse of the Power Pole, she turned away, not even wanting to look at her grandfather's prized polearm.

 _"You let Vegeta do this. Those Namekians... if you hadn't stopped Krillin..."_

* * *

"Mira, I told you: I am not angry with you."

Towa stood across from a sitting Mira, whose expression remained unchanged as always, but whose face was looking away from her.

"Then you are disappointed in me?"

She walked over to sit next to him, trying to be more nurturing towards her creation.

"Trunks is the one that ruined our mission. Not you."

She lifted up his chin with her finger, looking him in his eyes.

"Your decision to get me away from Trunks was understandable and certainly preferable to him taking me into the Time Patrol's custody. I admit I acted out, but I don't blame you for your choice."

While Mira saw her trying to cheer him up, he still detected something bothering her unrelated to him.

"Then why are you upset?"

Towa gave a sigh.

"I gave that patroller everything about me. I knew her pain... and her, my own. We were coming to an understanding."

Now she was looking at her hands, making fists.

"If I had cloaked my trail more efficiently... if Trunks hadn't found us... she would have joined us."

Mira noticed Towa's nails digging into her palms and took hold of her wrists, stopping her from hurting her hands. She stopped what she was doing and looked back at Mira.

"I reached out to her... and she was about to take my hand."

"She hesitated."

"I know, but given time..."

Mira took to his feet, a gesture Towa took note of.

"Even with a high probability you could have turned her to our side, there remained the possibility she would have turned you down regardless of your efforts."

He even went as far as opening several files of the four battles, each showcasing Pan overcoming her opponents.

"You know what she has done so far. You may want her to join us, but we cannot afford to go easy on her."

She knew Mira was trying to get her to focus on her primary goal and couldn't help but agree with him.

"If we encounter this patroller again, you need to make the appropriate measures to stop her interference at all costs... even if it means killing her."

Upon turning off the monitors, Mira's ultimatum was perfectly clear to Towa and she begrudgingly knew what he was saying was true.

"You're right."

Privately, she still wanted to find another way where Pan was by her side and Mira's.

 _"If it comes to that..."_

* * *

Pan stood in place, hitting a punching bag hanging on the ceiling with several two hit combinations, causing it to fly backward, then forward back to her. She had much on her mind and exercising seemed to be her best way of working through things.

"I know what you're thinking, Earth girl..."

She paused as saw what looked like the Vegeta from their battle on Earth clear as day to the side of the punching bag. The voice was unmistakable. Just then, a flash through Pan's mind:

Vegeta punching Goku several times during the course of their initial battle, then preparing to destroy their home with his Galick Gun.

This projection of him put both his hands to the sides of his face, then tilted his head back and forth in a mock feminine fashion.

"'Oh, how cruel. How terrible. How could anyone do such things?'" he said mockingly imitating Pan's own voice.

She tried to stay focused on the bag in front of her without paying him any mind.

"I'm imagining this. Vegeta is not actually here," Pan said out loud to herself.

She punched at it once more, but just as it was returning back to its original position, she saw Vegeta move right in front of her. Even knowing it couldn't possibly be him, Pan still stepped backward as if anticipating an impending attack.

"Maybe my father beat my compassion and weakness out of me, his cruelty turning me murderous and sadistic. Or maybe he spoiled me, the Prince of all Saiyans, giving me everything I ever wanted and never saying no. So much so I have no concept of right and wrong."

Along came another flash:

The Saiyan Prince as a Great Ape stepping on and breaking Goku's legs, as well squeezing him in both hands to crush him, chuckling at her grandfather's screams of pain.

With each successive combo, Pan punched harder and harder. The next flashes:

Vegeta knocking Krillin away with a backhand, then punching Gohan, a child, in the gut repeatedly.

Still, she tried to rationalize what Vegeta didn't do.

"Nappa killed Tien and Piccolo, not y..."

"I ordered him to," Vegeta interrupted. "To plant the Saibamen and to kill your friends. He and I could've waited for Kakarrot the whole time, but I wanted Kakarrot to see what Nappa had done to them."

Now she was rapidly striking it with her hands, as well as her feet, speeding up as she recalled his worst deeds:

The Namekian villagers being blasted one-by-one, as well as Arlia and its entire population being completely destroyed.

"What's the matter? They weren't anyone important."

Instead of hitting the punching bag once more, she caught it with her left hand, lifting it as she readied her right into a fist. Pan began to picture Vegeta in place of the bag, still grinning at what he did.

"They were all toys..."

Now her flashes were that of Vegeta blasting away Nappa, his own comrade who followed his every order, into nothing with the same smile as when Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tien, and Piccolo died.

"Toys to break for my amusement."

Having had enough, she finally went through with the punch to his face. This enraged hit tore straight through the punching bag, her fist and wrist visible on the other side of it. With a monumental downward swing, Pan tore the punching bag off the ceiling and slammed it down as hard as she could.

Now no longer picturing Vegeta, Pan saw the extent of the damage she caused to the bag and the ground it once hung over, its contents spilling out. Having worked up a tremendous sweat, she crouched over while still on her feet, her head over her knees as her face dripped.

"What am I doing? Just look at this mess..."

"Don't worry," went a new female voice. "You're not the first, that's for sure."

She turned, seeing a woman of bright yellow skin with black body armor with shoulders, braces, and leggings approaching her. Her ponytailed hair, if it even was hair, curled in the front, partially covering a green scouter.

"Pan, right? I realize this isn't the best time for you... but I'm here to help you prepare."

"Trunks sent you?"

"Commander Hale did. He asked me to help prepare you for what might be your next mission."

"Against who?"

"Not just one person, but an entire team of five."

Pan watched as this woman stood on one leg, then stuck one arm upward while the other gestured across her beneath her armor's chestplate.

"The Ginyu Force. Frieza's most elite fighting force. And you're looking at one of the Time Patrol's foremost experts on them."

After remaining in place for a few seconds, the woman cleared her throat, then exited her pose.

"The name's Taino. I'll show you everything you need to know should you have to face the Ginyu Force."

* * *

For the next few days, Pan studied and trained with Taino, learning about the Ginyu Force and the individual members' techniques so she could better combat them. The earliest lessons revolved around Guldo, who was physically the weakest of the team, but whose telekinesis was on a much higher level than General Blue before him, and his time stop, which he could use by holding his breath.

From there, they transitioned to Recoome, the physical powerhouse who could take loads of punishment without tiring and dish out just as much, Burter, the fastest of the group who would blitz his enemies with rapid strikes and fly-bys, and Jeice, the force's 2nd in command who works best in combination with Burter.

But as she trained, Pan found herself haunted by projections of Vegeta. They each taunted her in regards to what he had done and constantly reminded her that she couldn't stop him, not only because it was forbidden by the Time Patrol, but also because it would cause Bulla, Trunks, and Pan herself to never be born.

Taino noticed Pan began to look bed-ridden and disheveled, and would lose focus from time to time, either missing something she said or getting struck by a move even when Taino gave her a heads-up first. Pan knew she couldn't play it off as intentional, but also wasn't sure if it was best to discuss what happened between her and Towa. While this often ended with Taino letting Pan go early, one day, Tiano finally confronted her regarding it, leaving Pan no choice but to discuss what was on her mind.

She chose only to divulge that she learned about specific deeds from Vegeta's past and couldn't stop thinking about them, in particular those he killed. In effect, if Pan were asked to defend him again, a small part of her would almost consider not saving him, but she knew she had to, both for time's sake and because it would prevent her own birth. Taino knew just telling her to get over it would be of no help to either of them and instead insisted that Pan take the time she needs to cope and rejoin when in a better headspace.

* * *

After Pan left, Taino sought out Trunks, and the two of them and Commander Hale had a discussion in his office regarding Pan's current state. While Taino announced that they had made some progress, she knew Pan seemed to be having trouble sleeping and that her current state made her prone to mistakes. Taino knew what was bothering Pan would continue to fester and get worse if she kept it only to herself, which would be disastrous if she were called upon soon.

Trunks dreaded their eventual discussion with everything that occurred between Pan, him, and the Supreme Kai of Time during their last meeting, but with one of the primary issues plaguing Pan being his father, Trunks knew he was the only one who could shed some light regarding Vegeta. Commander Hale insisted that Trunks go to Pan as a friend looking out for what was best for her, not as a superior wanting her in working order.

* * *

That night in her housing unit, Pan sat at her table, just trying to eat a bowl of rice as she was yet again met by Vegeta. Even as she tried not to look at him, she saw another Vegeta to the side of her, then another on her opposite side. Their taunts and laughter echoed as she slowly found herself beginning to lower her head downward and start to doze off, eventually falling asleep.

* * *

Pan saw herself back inside the Capsule Corp gravity machine. She saw the controls and its default setting at 300 times gravity. At the time, she was more than ready to press it to finally become a Super Saiyan, but after having trained under gravity at Toki Toki City, she knew it would've ended in disaster were it not for...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..."

She turned, seeing the Vegeta from her Earth, but instead of approaching her, he stood with his back turned to her. Even without seeing Pan's expression towards him, Vegeta knew what was on her mind.

"So now you know..." he began.

As he turned around, Pan began to approach him.

"You know what I did."

She started walking faster.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time..."

He stretched out his arms to his sides. Pan ran to him, then did something she had never dreamed of doing to her Earth's Vegeta:

She grabbed him by the throat.

"How could you?!" Pan shouted, starting to lift him off the ground. "All those innocent lives... and for what?!"

She found that Vegeta didn't move either of his arms or lift a single finger.

"Even after my Grandpa had you spared, you killed innocent Namekians! As if their lives meant less than yours."

When Vegeta kept silent, she slammed the back of his head against one of the gravity machine's round walls, leaving a large dent.

"ANSWER ME!"

"What do you want me to say, Pan? That I was a different person before I met Kakarrot? That I regret everything I did? That all my sins haunt me each and every day?"

Vegeta didn't have any panic in his words.

"You already know I wasn't just following orders from Frieza. Nothing I could say or do changes anything about what I did. I have no excuse. I did it. All of it."

Him being matter-of-factly about everything in his answers didn't do a thing for Pan, whose other hand lifted up and turned to a fist.

"I will not fight you, Pan."

Even in the face of his death, Vegeta's calm was almost chilling to her. She tried mustering her strength to throw a punch.

"Finish it."

Pan thought back to everything she had seen Vegeta do and was ready to go through with it...

"Dad!"

Pan turned, seeing Bulla having entered and terrified at what she was seeing Pan doing.

"Pan, let him go!"

As much as the shock on Bulla's face shook her, her anger at Vegeta overrode it.

"You don't know what your father did, Bulla! What he... what he really is!"

Bulla seemed conflicted, but even then, she refused to let this happen.

"He's still my dad! I won't let you kill him!"

Now Pan saw Bulla ready to fire at her to save her father. Pan couldn't dream of attacking her best friend back, but she also didn't intend on letting Vegeta go. Her mind juggled with how far she was willing to go.

"No, Bulla!" Vegeta shouted to his daughter, lifting his hand for the first time to point to her.

Bulla could immediately tell that her father didn't want her to stop what was happening. But even with his wishes...

"No! You're my dad! I can't... I..."

"It's alright, Bulla."

Vegeta changed his posture and tone from commanding to nurturing, gesturing her to lower her arm.

"My past has caught up to me. It's time I pay for what I've done."

Even as he was at peace with what was to come, he still tried to comfort his daughter.

"It's okay."

Bulla finally lower her arms.

"Take care of your mother for me."

"I will. I promise."

Pan turned back to Vegeta, who nodded to Pan as her fist was aimed back at him. But Pan couldn't help but look at Bulla, who teared up as she was undoubtedly looking to her father alive for the last time.

"I love you, Dad."

Vegeta turned to Bulla, a tear managing to escape his eye.

"I love you too, my Bulla."

He closed both eyes, awaiting his impending death at Pan's hand. The world around her seemed to slow as Pan moved her fist back one last time.

 _"This is for every single innocent you've killed!"_

Now her fist was making its approach...

...but despite Vegeta giving her his blessing to kill him...

...this wasn't the Vegeta she hated and despised. Pan clearly knew he was derived from that Vegeta, but in character and action, he wasn't that Vegeta.

 _"He's not... but he was... he still did..."_

Looking over at Bulla, Pan's mind conjured a portrait of Vegeta's family on Earth: his wife, children, and his parents-in-law when the two were still with them.

 _"I can't take him from his family."_

...but her mind wandered back to his past deeds.

 _"...but that's exactly what he did to so many families, if not entire ones."_

It soured her thoughts as her fist neared his nose. Just one more moment and all her might was going to tear through Vegeta's head.

 _"I have to do this."_

 _"I don't have to do this."_

Now it was like she was frozen in time.

 _"It has to be done!"_

 _"It shouldn't be done!"_

 _"For once, just go for the kill!"_

Time moved again and the punch finally connected...

...missing Vegeta and hitting the side of the wall.

"No."

She let Vegeta go, coughing on the ground as Bulla ran over to him. Pan walked towards the entrance, turning her head for just a moment to see Bulla tending to her father.

 _"I will not."_

When she looked back at the gravity machine's door, she instead saw a black void during which she felt no floor to stand on and hurriedly kept afloat before she could fall. Turning around again, there was no sign of Vegeta or Bulla.

In their place, she saw what at first appeared to be a purple body of water below her. Just as she began to see Namekian bodies float to the surface, there was a splash as the Vegeta of the past floated upward, covered head-to-toe in what she then realized was Namekian blood.

"You are so soft!" this purple Vegeta shouted. "That couldn't have been laid out more perfectly for you, and you were still too weak-willed to go through with it!"

As he slowly floated forward, he flicked his open hand, sending droplets of the purple blood towards Pan.

"Look at it! All this blood because you wouldn't let me die! How are you going to live with that?! Knowing that saving me led to all their deaths!"

Pan began floating backward away from him, her back struck something. While it appeared to be nothing, it was like she was against a wall and couldn't get away from him.

"You think you're taking the high road? There is no high road! The high road exists only for weaklings to justify wallowing in their lack of a spine!"

She tried moving sideways, but it was like she was cornered, the invisible walls giving her no choice but to face him.

"It always ends the same with you people..."

He put his hand out in a gun pose, the same he used against the Namekians.

"Dying for 'ideals' while the rest of us aren't stupid enough to do the same thing."

Now Pan couldn't even move her feet, as if she were glued to an invisible floor while Vegeta came closer.

"You're at least part Saiyan. You should know what a real Saiyan would do here. Now are you going to do it or let this keep happening again and again until you're dead?!"

Finally, she raised her palm in his direction, charging with ki. Now the purple Vegeta cracked a smile, revealing even his teeth were covered just like the rest of him.

"That's right. Do it. Put every last ounce of your hatred of me into it. Strike me down."

But Pan closed her eyes. That along with her delayed attack puzzled him.

"Come on. What are you waiting for?"

His finger gun began to shake.

"Do it."

Now he gritted his purple teeth and stretched out both his arms to the side.

"DO IT, WOMAN!"

Pan's eyes opened as her palm aimed to the side away from Vegeta before firing a single ki projectile that missed him entirely. He ready to swing his hand at her.

"You blasted little...!"

 ***CRACK!***

The noise having caught his attention, he turned around, seeing the blank space she struck begin to crack with a glowing white hue, which grew and spread towards him.

"You may look like Vegeta, act like him, talk like him, sound like him..." she began calmly.

Everything behind the purple Vegeta cracked further and further more rapidly, and he soon realized he had the same cracks forming across him as well.

"But you are not Vegeta. And I'm done with you."

In anger, he put his hand out like a gun once more, trying to fly towards her and fire right at her forehead, but just as he was about to touch her, he shattered like glass along with the rest of the black void, revealing her chambers.

"You will not consume me any more."

She closed her eyes once again...

* * *

And when they opened, Pan had woken up, lifting her head off the table and slowly getting to her feet. She decided to clean up her quarters, which she he had neglected to do for these past days, as well as herself.

Now that the inside of her unit was livable again and she felt as well as she looked, Pan decided to get some air from outside. As she took her first steps outside, she looked to her right, seeing Trunks heading in her direction.

"Trunks."

Upon seeing Pan, he seemed to freeze for just a moment, stuttering to find something to say.

"Hey, listen, I was... just passing by. I can leave if you..."

"Wait..."

Pan gestured to him to stay and he could tell from her tone and posture that she wasn't angry with him.

"Can we talk?"


End file.
